APAPA CUSTOMS COLLECTS N502BN, SEIZES TWO PISTOLS

The Apapa Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service has collected a total sum of N502,987,516,219.26 from January 2023 to date and made 16 seizures worth a duty paid value of N1.4 billion within the same period.

Two pistols concealed in a groupage cargo were also seized. A suspect was arrested as the matter is undergoing investigation.

Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Auwal Baba Mohammed, who described the revenue collection and seizures made as fallouts of increased compliance, urged officers to redouble their efforts in revenue collection, trade facilitation and strict enforcement of anti smuggling activities.

The command made a collection of N9.2b on July 20, 2023. This feat is the highest daily collection it ever achieved in its existence since the port was established.

The seizures made aside the pistols within the period comprised of prohibited drugs, used tyres, rice, vegetable oil, and sundry items.

The Command achieved an increased level of compliance by importers, exporters, and their agents through deliberate system profiling and manifest tracking.

Under the CAC's direct supervision , dedicated officers of the command are using the system profiling yardstick to gauge the integrity levels of importers and consignees.

This has helped in treating traders in line with their previous transaction records, which is reassuring that compliance pays through time saving and cost efficiency.

The controller urged all port users to be compliant, stating that compliant traders are shielded from the risk of getting their consignments seized; imposition of penalties after demand notices and possible arrests for prosecution as the case may require.

According to Comptroller Mohammed, non compliant traders spend more time and money paying for terminal space due to demurrage plus higher cost due to DN"s and penalties.

Comptroller Mohammed has also raised the level of electronic manifest tracking to accelerate trade facilitation leveraging on available technology.

The CAC described this feat as a masterstroke in the journey towards trade facilitation and ease of doing business.

At a recent monthly meeting of Terminal/Unit Heads, Comptroller Mohammed exhorted all officers of the command to sustain and improve upon the level of discipline the command has been noted for under his watch.

He characterised discipline as the foundation of good work etiquette, such as punctuality, diligent application of Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023 and other noble virtues that align with the law.

He further stressed that Nigeria has high expectations of the NCS and that the service is looking up to Apapa Command for its highest collection.

He charged officers/men of the command to use their knowledge of the job and the rules guiding the Service to facilitate legitimate trade.

He said, " As we facilitate trade for compliant traders, let's be wary of the possibility of releasing uncustom goods in error or in the guise of facilitating trade.

"I hereby charge you to do better in the second half of 2023 as the glory for the successes recorded in the first half belongs to all of us."