The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Bauchi, has seized contrabands worth N200 million.
The Public Relations Officer of the unit, Umar Abdullahi, who disclosed this in a statement signed and issued to journalists on Monday, said the contrabands were seized between August and September by various patrol teams in the Zone.
He said that the seizures were part of efforts by the Nigeria Customs Service to rid the Zone and the country at large of goods that could have negative effects of the lives of Nigerians as well as on the economy.
The FOU, comprises of nine states of Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe, Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa States; with headquarters in Bauchi.
Abdullahi said that said that some of the items seized are: 542 bags of 50kgs of foreign parboiled rice, four sacks containing 165kgs of pangolin shells, 487 bags of Urea fertiliser, and 250 cartons of foreign spaghetti.
Others are 191 bales of second hand clothing, 110 Jerrycans of Petroleum Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol, 70 cartons of foreign soaps, and 32 Jerrycans of 25 liters of Kerosine.
Other items include 130 Jerrycans of 20 litters of engine oil and 10 bags of dried donkey skins.
According to him, no fewer than seven vehicles of different brands including two petrol tankers used in conveying the prohibited items were also seized by the operatives of the Service.
NCS Spokesman stated that the actions of the Customs operatives are in line with the provisions of Section 8 and Section 158 (Power to Patrol Freely) of Customs and Excise Management Act Cap C45 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as amended.
He added that the unprecedented seizures within this short time were achieved as a result of sharing of information, intelligence gathering and doggedness of the Officers and Men of the federal Operations Unit Zone D in making the zone unbearable for smugglers.
The PRO said, “Let me use this medium to plead with well-meaning Nigerians to assist in providing genuine information that that could aid in eradicating the menace of smuggling in the zone and the country at large.
“They have to know that eradicating smuggling in this country will boost the economy which will make the Federal Government to provide social amenities to the citizenry.
“I want to warn smugglers to repent from their nefarious activities because the Federal Operations Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, Zone ‘D’ under the able leadership of the Comptroller, Musa Ibrahim Jalo, will not relent in its efforts at ridding the zone of smugglers.”
