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Customs Intercepts N356.2m Contraband

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The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted contraband with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N356.2 million.
The Tide source reports that items included used clothes, Indian Hemp, used vehicles, rice, second hand clothes, substandard cables, frozen poultry products and others.
The Customs Area Controller in charge of FOU Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Garba Mohammed, disclosed this in Lagos.
Mohammed handed over the intercepted items to officials of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). the National Agency for Foods Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos.
According to him, the 128 seizures were made between August 29 and October 3 after intensified unit’s operational modalities to meet up with the current smuggling tactics.
“We have intercepted various contraband with DPV of N356,205,050.78, while the seized items include 11 used vehicles, 4,227 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 84 parcels of India Hemp, 249 bales of second hand clothes and 980 cartons of frozen poultry products.
“We also intercepted 907 pieces of used tyres, 268 pairs of used shoes, 198 Jerry cans of vegetable oil, two containers of substandard electric cables, one container each of scraps and wet blue leather, seven containers of wood and three containers of medicament.
“In September  29, based on information, we trailed and evacuated 3,000 bags of smuggled parboiled rice from 10 houses along Waterside in Ere Village, Ado-Odo Local Government of Ogun State.
“Each of these houses had three exit doors for their nefarious activities and as we were evacuating the rice from one house to the other, the villagers were busy packing the rice into the bush through other exit doors.
“Apart from 11 vehicles, which two of them are Lexus Jeep GX460 and RX330, we also have another 17 assorted vehicles of various models in detention.
“The vehicles were evacuated from car marts due to infractions noticed in their documents and as I speak with you, the owners have not been able to provide Customs papers, which we have given them enough room to provide,” Mohammed said.
He said that eight suspects had been arrested in connection with the seizures.
Mohammed said that currently the Unit had 12 suspects being prosecuted at the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Courts.
The controller said that of the criminal cases, one person had been convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Ali, and the entire management for providing the necessary assistance and logistics that brought about the feats.
Mohammed also commended the media as well as other sister agencies, adding that sensitising and educating the public would stop smuggling to the barest  minimum.
An Assistant Director in the Lagos Office of NDLEA, Mr Abdul-Azeez Uthman, commended the efforts of the NCS.
Uthman assured the Customs of continuous collaboration until the perpetrators stopped the criminal acts.
Also speaking, an Assistant Director, Compliance Directorate, SON, Mr Chike Makwe, described Mohammed as “Mr Standard”for intercepting the two containers of substandard cables from China after the containers escaped from Apapa Port.
“This is one of the nefarious acts perpetrated by some importers either as a result of false declaration or they did not get clearance from SON in terms of SONCAP and so on,” he said.
Markwe said that usage of substandard cables were hazardous and they could burn buildings.
Mr Declan Ugwu, an Assistant  Director, (Investigation and Enforcement) in NAFDAC, said that the seized products did not pass through due processes before coming into the country.
“Customs told us it had NAFDAC registration number, but our worry is the way the consignments came into the country through false declaration.
“When products are coming into the country, they should pass the GCS text in India or CRIA text in China before coming into the country.
“As they come into the country, the drugs should go through stamping, but I understand that these two containers of Lemdafil 100mg, Acipep Antacids and Ciprogyl injection 200mg, did not do so.
“We suspect that the importer did not do proper registration and we are also going to verify the NAFDAC registration number that came with those products.
“We find out these days that the way the criminals are bringing in fake products is that they will copy a NAFDAC registration number of another registered products and affixed it on the products they are bringing into the country,” Ugwu said.
He urged importers to always follow due process in bringing pharmaceutical products into the country to save the lives of Nigerians.
Ugwu said that NAFDAC would carry out thorough investigation on the products and inform the public immediately. (NAN)

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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