Customs Destroyed 2,598 Bags of Expired Foreign Rice In Kwara
Nigerian Customs Service, Kwara Area Command, has raked in a total sum of N2.3 billion as revenue from January to June this year.
Briefing journalists on Tuesday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, the Controller, Kwara Area Command, Comptroller Ahmed Hussaini Bello, said: “It is no longer news that COVID-19 has affected virtually every aspect of not only Nigeria’s economy but also the entire world. In month of April, 2020 the Command recorded zero revenue which is as a result of lockdown. In May 2020, we were able to bounce back and we surpassed what we generated in March, 2020 with ₦287, 009, 456.48
”Today, I make bold to say that since my assumption of office here in Kwara Area Command, under my watch, we have so far generated ₦4.7 billion and remitted same to the Federation Account.
The Command has made an unprecedented number of seizures, despite border closure, and despite that smugglers have continued to dare the Command with importation of banned items and smuggling through unapproved routes.”
Comptroller Bello said the Command has made seizures of various items with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦320, 766,000.00, while four suspects were arrested.
The items seized, according to him, were 2, 598 Bags of foreign par boiled rice estimated to be over four trailer loads of rice, 34 kegs of vegetable oil of 25 liters each, 41 units of various types of used vehicles, 372 jerri Jerry cans of PMS of 25 liters each and 3,742 Kg of Cannabis Sativa popularly known as Marijuana or Indian Hemp, which had been handed over to the NDLEA.
Comptroller Bello also disclosed that 927 bags of foreign rice, 123 bags of Semolina of 10Kg each, 25 bags of Semolina of 5kg each and 35 cartons of Mamador Vegetable Oil, with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦12.8 million, that were certified unfit for both human and animal consumption were publicly burnt, adding that this was why they invited the press, NAFDAC, SON, NESREA and KWEPA to witness the destruction of the items