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Customs Impounds N3.13bn Tramadol

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7 years ago

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Barely a day after the Apapa command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) announced a seizure of 40 containers of tramadol worth over N7 billion, the Tin Can Island Command of the service has also intercepted another 10 containers of the banned drugs.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ali, who briefed the press last Friday after taking journalists round the seizure, maintained that 10 pieces of 20 feet containers were predominantly imported from India.
The customs boss, who was represented at the briefing by Deputy Comptroller General of Customs (DCG) in charge of Enforcement, Intelligence and Investigations, Augustine Chidi, added that two containers of used clothings and one other of harmful bleaching ingredients were also seized.
Speaking further, Ali said the seizures were in line with the provisions of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) CAP C45 LFN 2004, Sections 46 and 161.
“The Tin Can Island Command has re-jigged its operational methodology to deal with the trend and the renewed vigour has yielded positive results particularly in dealing with issues of under payment, under valuation, value transfer, concealment, falsification of documents, among others.
“The seizures include the following; 11×40 and 2×20ft containers of tramadol, ciproflaxin capsules, diclofenac sodium tablets, soffeathe IV cannula, sildencfil cotrate tablets, bleaching soaps, bales of used clothing with a total duty paid value (DPV) of N3,134,029,290.00
“In the same vein, a container of soap suspected to contain harmful bleaching ingredients and two containers of second hand clothings were seized in line with the provisions of CEMA”, he said.
On the revenue drive of the Tin Can Island Command between January and November 2018, the Customs boss said the command generated a total of N303.5 billion between January and November as against N253 billion within the same period in 2017.
In line with the presidential directive on the ease of doing business at the ports, the Comptroller General called on relevant security agencies to continually work for the overall interest of the country, to achieve 48 hours cargo clearance timeline.
He warned that the service will apply very strict sanction on any act capable of jeopardising the efforts of the service in achieving better efficiency.

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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22 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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22 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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22 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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