With Ogun borders still shut, Customs revenue crashes

Revenue of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun State Command, has crashed as the land borders linking the South-West remained shut to trades.

The Guardian gathered that the Ogun command of NCS recorded N2 million in the month of August, 2021 compared to about N799.6 million recorded in August, 2018, prior to the closure of the borders.

However, the borders are porous and attract all sorts of criminals, who attack and maim customs officials on duty frequently. Customs Area Controller, Ogun Command, Compt. Peter Kolo, while giving the scorecard of the command at Idiroko, said, “the Ogun State borders are still closed to Customs operations and has remained closed.

“The only available source of revenue to the command are auction of seized petroleum products and scrap metals. Through this, the command is able to generate a total of N1.997 million in the month of August, 2021.”
 
He noted that the cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of all seizures during the month amounted to N72.5 million. Kolo said the allegations by some group of students that importation of arms and ammunition through the command is sad, embarrassing and portraying the indigenes and citizens of Ogun State in bad light.
   
He drew the attention of the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, members of the National and State assemblies from the state, traditional rulers, authorities of tertiary institutions and other opinion leaders in Ogun State to the emerging security threat.
   
“By their acts and actions, we suspect smugglers who can no longer have their ways are instigating activities that are capable of breaching public peace and good order being enjoyed in the state,” he said.
 
Kolo said campaign of calumny and blackmail against Customs by the group or any other group and their sponsors will not dampen officers’ morale or discourage their resolve to succeed in this battle against enemies of the state. 
   
“We are not distracted but remain resolute and focused on our anti-smuggling operations in the state,” he said. According to him, the command made a total of 95 seizures comprising 4,138 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each; 830 cartons of frozen poultry products; 15 units of both foreign used vehicles and means of conveyance, 6 sacks of cannabis sativa and other illicit drugs; six bales and 15 sacks of used clothings; six sacks and 90 pieces of used handbags; 16 sack and 34 pairs of used shoes; 592 kegs of petroleum products of 25 litres each made for smuggling outside the country, and many other items.