Customs Rakes In N2.3bn Revenue In Kaduna, Katsina

The Kaduna/Katsina Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said it collected N2.3 billion as revenue between January and June 2013.
The Area Controller, Alhaji Yerima Abubakar, announced this during a mid-year news report presentation.
He said the revenue represented 57 per cent of the command’s annual target, adding that it was optimistic of meeting the target by the end of the year.
Abubakar also said the command seized various goods valued N330 million during the period under review.
He said that some of the seized items included rice, vehicles, motorcycles, spaghetti, among others.
Abubakar said that the revenue record was achieved through the collaborative efforts of officers of the command; the Federal Operations Unit and the Customs Task Force.
He explained that any revenue collected by the Customs Service was used by the government for the good of the people.
The controller urged importers to pay the appropriate duties on their shipments instead of engaging in smuggling.
Abubakar said the doors of the service were opened to the public to facilitate legitimate trading.
Weanwhile, the Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Thursday said it had seized contraband worth N780,000 from the Yekeme and Idiroko waterways in Lagos in July.
In a statement made available to The Tide in Lagos,  Comptroller of the command, Mr Zakka Audu,disclosed that the seized goods were 120 cartons of frozen foods.
“Seventy of the contraband were frozen turkey,“ Audu said.
Audu said that there were indications that more seizures would be made before the end of July.
He said that the command seized contraband worth over N20 million during the second quarter of 2013, within its jurisdiction.
He said that the impounded products included bags of rice, cartons of frozen poultry products, a boat, automobile engines and pumping machines.
“In April, May and June, we made seizures worth N4.42 million, N15.50 million and N487, 413 respectively.
“The June seizures were 48 bags of rice,’’ the comptroller said.
“ Our Smuggling Suppression Agenda policy will always dictate our zero-tolerance for smuggling.“