The Ogun Area Command Controller, Nigeria Customs Service,
Sani Madugu, says smugglers now use the creeks along the border communities at
Idiroko, Ipokia Local Government Area, to smuggle bags of rice and other
prohibited products into the country.
He disclosed this on Thursday at the command’s border office
at Idiroko, while briefing journalists about the seizure of prohibited goods
coming through land borders made by the command in the last three weeks.
Madugu, said within the period, officers and men of the
command during surveillance intercepted 483 bags of rice, 721 cartons of
imported croaker fish, two exotic cars(Mercedes Benz S-class 2015 model and
Toyota corolla 2009 model) and one Volvo truck.
He said, in summary, all the intercepted goods have Duty
Payable value of over N37m.
The Ogun Customs boss, who took over the command on 25th
April 2017, explained that the command has mounted a three-pronged strategy of
mounting surveillance on the roads, illegal bush routes and creeks.
He said,” We have discovered one of the new methods of
smuggling bags of rice and other prohibited products into Nigeria through
Idiroko, is through the creeks in Ipokia.
“The smugglers now use small, small canoes to bring in the
bags of rice. They were not aware that we had mounted surveillance there, as
they were bringing in the consignments, our operatives swooped on them. In the
last three weeks, we have made seizure of 483 of 50kg bags of rice.
“Also, we also intercepted along Idiroko axis two buses with
number plates AKD ,674 XU and KJA 635 XU, carrying 721 cartons of croaker fish.
Two exotic cars, Mercedes Benz S-class 2015 model, Toyota corolla 2009 model
and one Volvo truck.”
Madugu, said while frozen products were completely
prohibited, “Fish products are under regulated products in Nigeria with some
specific guidelines which every fish importer must fulfil before he or she can
embark on the importation of such.”
He said no suspect was arrested in these operations because
the smugglers abandoned the contraband and fled.
Making veiled reference to the recent clash between Customs
operatives and smugglers around the Tollgate area at Sango-Ota, warned that any
smuggler who engaged operatives in gun battle would get “fire for fire.”
He, however, said his command would continue to use
enlightenment programmes and engagement with traditional rulers in border
communities to check the incidence of smuggling.
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