The flagship of the Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command yesterday said it has generated the sum of N1.023 trillion revenue during the first half of 2024, which represents a 143 percent increase when compared to the sum of N421.3billion recorded by the command within the Same period of 2023.
The Controller of the command, Comptroller BA Olomu disclosed this while briefing the media on the command’s activities in the first half of 2024 at the command's headquarters in Apapa Lagos on Monday.
Olomu, who said the revenue was generated despite a significant decline in volume of trade attributed the success recorded to the command’s effort at promoting trade and the ingenuity of officers to block all forms of revenue leakages especially at the bonded terminals under the command.
In his word, “Our efforts at promoting trade facilitation are yielding good results with attendant ease of doing business, prevention of revenue losses, and closer interactions with sister government agencies and private sector stakeholders, including members of the host communities in which we operate.
“We are also not leaving anything to chance for economic saboteurs as our non-intrusive inspection (NII) regime is fully in place where scanners are deployed for cargo examination with support of physical examination where and when necessary.
“For the first half of 2024, that is between January to June 2024, the command generated a total of N1, 023,663,842,255. This shows an increase of 143% above the figures of N421, 382,166, 378 .46 collected in the corresponding period in 2023.
“Whereas this collection is coming despite a sharp reduction in the volume of trade, it is necessary to note that extra measures have been put in place to prevent losses of government revenue".
Continuing, the Controller said, "Upon taking over as Area Controller of Apapa command on the 6th of May, 2024, I set up a revenue recovery committee comprising of seasoned and dedicated officers with a mandate to carry out more detailed look into areas of leakages, especially in bonded terminals under Apapa Command".
"within the review period, 11 containers of prohibited items including expired and unregistered pharmaceuticals, footwears, used clothing, armored cables, frozen poultry products with a Duty Paid Value of N424million were seized.
“These importations violate section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023. Let me state that the harmful effects of fake and unregistered pharmaceutical products on citizens are unquantifiable and as a responsible service, we owe Nigerians the duty of preventing them from being exposed to this dangerous importation".
Sounding a note of warning, Compt. Olomu said, “In light of the above, I want to use this opportunity to sound a note of warning to perpetrators of smuggling, duty evasion and other forms of criminality frowned upon by the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and other extant laws, that Apapa command is poised to nip illicit importation in the bud".
He added that the command has reformed its way of treating transires in order to ensure a meticulous cargo moving management from the mother port to bonded terminals to prevent a situation where smugglers attempt to perpetuate illegalities in bonded terminals.
“To sustain this tempo, no cargo is allowed to exit from our control without thorough inspection using the scanners. We shall not compromise on this as we will keep making seizures, detention and arrests where necessary to protect the national economy and prevent Nigerians from exposure to dangerous or unwholesome products like illicit drugs, ” he said
The command boss used the opportunity to commend government agencies such as the Nigeria Police, DSS, NDLEA, NAFDAC, SON, NIS, NAQS, Nigerian Army, and Nigerian Navy, and stakeholders for their support and collaboration.
While appreciating officers and men of the command for their resilience, the also expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR and his management team for providing the needed and enabling support and leadership being currently witnessed in the service.
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