The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Seme Command, said it recorded a total of 529 says seizures of contraband goods worth N6.3 billion in the year 2017.
The Customs Area Controller, Compt. Mohammed Aliyu Alhaji while rendering the end of year report disclosed that the Command generated the aforementioned amount in the face of daunting challenges that militated against its performance.
He stated further that the N6.3 billion generated was from one thousand seven hundred and forty two(1,742) declarations from the ASYCUDA platform while a total of 22,273 declarations were used to generate a total of ten billion, five hundred and three million, eight hundred and ninety four thousand, eighty nine naira, eighty one kobo (N10, 503,894,089.81) in the corresponding year of 2016 (meaning fewer number of declarations was used to generate a higher value as compared to the corresponding year 2016).
The Command’s helmsman re-stated that the command in the midst of economic meltdown with resultant downturn on economic activities, deployed a lot of strategies to ensure all revenue leakages were blocked and stakeholders who were ready to comply with procedures and guidelines adequately sensitised to take advantage of the legal process in adhering to the extant laws guiding the service. Some of the strategies that yielded this tremendous result includesthe sensitisation and invitation of stakeholders to come for duty payment for dutiable goods rather than smuggling it; and also the Customs Area Controller’s commendation letter awarded to the best performing officers who have excelled in discharging their statutory functions where they were deployed.
The Controller further expressed satisfaction over the level of commitment displayed by the enforcement officers, who were seen to be proactive in enforcing the Federal Government policy on banned and restricted items through the land border. He added that the non-compromised stand of his officers and men had equally increased the compliant level among deviant stakeholders to adhere to proper import procedures and guidelines.
In analysing the data for the year 2017 key performance indices, Comptroller Mohammed, A.A categorically stated that the success of Seme Area Command was recorded courtesy of the moral and administrative support from the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali Rtd, whose zero tolerance for corruption influenced the border command to have a holistic and all-encompassing approach in the enforcement of our core mandate. He added that this was made possible because keying into ‘doing the right thing’ as the slogan of the CGC has disappointed many who always desire to circumvent the principles of adhering to ethical standard and professionalism to corrupt practices. He re-iterated that strict adherence to the policy thrust of the Comptroller General of Customs has indeed increased the compliant level among international traders which was hitherto bedeviled with infractionsand irregularities in their declaration processes.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos