100 Rounds of live Ammunition, Pistol & Cargoes worth N1.1 Billion Seized by Onne Command
100 rounds of live Ammunition and a pistol were part of the N1, 162,424,371.00 contraband intercepted by the Area 2 command in Port Harcourt.
Nine containerised cargoes were also intercepted for violations or contraventions of extant import prohibition laws.
Two suspects are already in custody in connection with the seized arms, the Area controller, Baba Imam stated this today.
Today’s briefing is sequel to series of events that have unfolded in the last 6 months since our last press briefing.
Specifically, this briefing is to bring you up to speed with the successes the Command has recorded in the line of duties in the areas of: *Revenue generated and collected. *Seizures of containers and other goods as a result of contraventions of various Customs laws and breach of procedures as provided under the revised import prohibition guidelines Schedule 3 (by trade) and Schedule 4 (absolute prohibition).
*Above all, part of our event today is for you to witness the handover of a pistol, 100 pieces of 9mm ammunition and two suspects in our custody in connection to the pistol and ammunition to the Nigerian Police.
On the 26th of October 2023, in the course of examination of an imported container from United State which was declared to contain household effects and One used vehicle, was found to contain One pistol and 100 rounds of ammunition. The operatives of the Customs Intelligence Unit attached to the group of examination officers was instrumental to the discovery of the Pistol and 100 rounds of live ammunition concealed within the vehicle.
Consequently, two suspects have been arrested in connection to this importation.
The pistol, ammunition as well as the two suspects shall all be handed over to the Nigerian police force shortly after this press briefing, as criminal cases relating to our collaborative functions with other Government agencies are handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and prosecution.
Gentlemen of the press, In our commitment and resolve at bringing down the incidences of smuggling to the bearest minimum within this Area Command, we have on display today a total of 9 seized containers for violations or contraventions of extant import prohibition laws.
These containers are currently in the warehouse and would be shown to members of the press shortly.
These seizures include: 724 bales of used clothing, 1805 pieces of used tyres, 4 Vehicles used in concealment of 76.9kg special cannabis (marijuana), 2070 cartons of Tomatoe paste, 1578 cartons of Barcadin Cough syrup with codeine (100ml) and many other items
The total duty paid value for these 9 containers stands at ₦1,162,424,371.00
Gentlemen of the press,
Beyond these collaborative functions with other Government agencies and the seizures, also, in the area of revenue generation and collection, this Area Command has generated a total of ₦246,025,872,903.80 from January 2023 to October 2023, this represents a significant increment of ₦44,145,889,008.65 over the amount generated for 2022.
It is pertinent to state here that the Command realized the sum of over 38 Billion Naira for the month of October alone, exceeding its monthly revenue target of 28 Billion Naira with an increment of over 10 Billion Naira.
Let me at this junction be emphatic that we do not just take delight in impounding containers or making seizures of contraband goods, rather we do this to enforce the laws of the nation and to serve as deterrent to others.
The Command and indeed the Customs of today has zero tolerance to smuggling and has no cause not to perform as every encouragement, logistics and other incentives have been given by our amiable Comptroller General of Customs, BASHIR ADEWALE ADENIYI, MFR, DSM, FNIPR, PSC(+) and that has boosted the morale of all officers to be more determined than ever to fight smuggling.
Gentlemen of the press, Let me equally use this medium and urge members of the public to co-operate and support Government agencies whose role is bringing about social justice, stability and peace in the Society.
In conclusion this Command has progressively sustained her past successes and will continue to do more before the end of the year.
We will continue to partner with other Security Agencies to make this Area Command and indeed the country at large a safe place to dwell in.