Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, in a bid to curb continuous smuggling of contraband, has intercepted and seized 500 bags of foreign parboiled rice.
Also seized were the six vehicles used in conveying the bags of rice by the smugglers.
In a press briefing held at the area command headquarters in Ibadan on Thursday, February 11, 2021, the Area Comptroller, Adamu R. Abdulkadir said that the new seizures were made between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
He said that Customs officers left Ibadan at about 4p.m., and were joined by the Comptroller General of Customs’ Strike Force, Federal Operations Unit and Border Drill teams.
He added that the Customs officers moved into the bush between Oyo and Kwara states, where the bags of rice were hidden by the smugglers, in readiness to use the dead of the night to transport them to intended destinations.
According to Abdulkadir, “we apprehended six vehicles laden with 500 bags of foreign parboiled rice, with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N22.329 million, and six vehicles with Duty Paid Value of N7,138,665 million.”
The Comptroller, who praised the efforts of Customs officers he described as “gallant and resilient,” said that the seizures were achieved through intelligence gathering.
He said that the smugglers escaped from the bush, after they were notified by their informants who noticed the approach of Customs operatives.
It will be recalled that a week earlier, Abdulkadir showcased the efforts of command officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Area Command in generating almost N5 billion as revenue in January 2021, in efforts to curb smuggling activities.
He stated: “Just seven days ago, we warned that we have further enhanced our anti-smuggling strategies by taking the battle to the doorsteps of the smugglers, in an operation code named ‘Operation Fish Out,’ designed to make Oyo and Osun states unbearable for smugglers and economic saboteurs.
“Yet, some unscrupulous elements have dared our will, but have paid the price.”
He urged the people in the two states to invest in legitimate businesses, to avoid loss of hard-earned money.
The Comptroller pointed out that the federal government had set up various empowerment and career development programmes, to encourage youths as well as small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).
