Customs intercept 400 luggage of beans supposed for unlawful export

The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, said the command intercepted 400 bags of beans worth N61.4m about to be illegally exported.

The Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, Timi Bomodi, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the command on Tuesday.

He said the bags of beans were stockpiled in a warehouse at one of the exit corridors at the border.

“In light of our present economic realities, where massive food shortages have been reported across the country, and in line with the directive to ensure grains are not exported illegally, the command made a seizure of a truckload of beans, totaling 400 bags with a duty paid value of N 61.4m stockpiled in a warehouse at one of the exit corridors in the border.” Bomodi said.

President Bola Tinubu had last month ordered the trio of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, to collaborate with state governors and go after those hoarding foodstuff.

The decision was taken during the President’s meeting with the governors in Abuja on the current food crisis triggered by the hikes in transportation costs after the fuel subsidy removal and the inability of farmers to harvest their crops because of bandits and kidnappers.

Bomodi added that the item has since been deposited in the government warehouse for safekeeping and eventual sale to the public.

Speaking on the revenue target, he said the command was given N7.87bn as a target for 2024.

“This represents an increase of over 400 per cent when compared to the target of 2023. In January 2024, the command collected N643m while in February, N518m was collected making a total of N1.160bn. This represents about 88 per cent of the total expected revenue of the command,” Bomodi stated.

The CAC also said that between January and February 2024, the command successfully made 168 interceptions which resulted in the seizure of some contrabands.

“These contrabands include, 2,193 bags of rove equivalent to three trailers, 81,930 liters of petroleum motor spirit equivalent to three tankers, nine vehicles, 1425 general merchandise, 265 parcels of cannabis sativa and other narcotics, 149 packs of codeine and 2 locally manufactured guns.”

He added that all the seized items had a total duty-paid value of N365.8m.

Bomodi said that the command had so far processed 184 export declarations for 43 items, “with a total weight of 65,185metric tons and a free-on-board of N13.1bn. The total amount collected for Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme was N65.3m and N24.4m as an export surcharge for previously imported goods.”

He said that the continuous surveillance of the border by the officers and men of the command had resulted in the interception of 400 jerry cans of PMS which is equivalent to 12, 000 liters.

Bomodi explained that the PMS which had a duty-paid value of N8.3m was intercepted on Saturday.

“The PMS would be auctioned in line with the Standard Operating Procedure in selling seized perishable items as directed by the service,” he said.

He said the seizures came on the heels of successes in anti-smuggling activities recorded in 2023.

Bomodi said that a total of 13 suspects were arrested in connection with these seizures.

Explaining further, he said six of the suspects were granted administrative bail, and three were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further agency action.

“One was handed over to the Nigerian Police, while three suspects were still in our custody,” he said.

He said that joint security meetings adopted by the command provided valuable intelligence and opportunities to cross-fertilize ideas about border management.

“We note that collaboration holds the key to success in border management that’s why we have insisted on information sharing among sister agencies.

“As the lead agency in border security and facilitators of international trade, we are constantly aware of the need to balance both responsibilities through the use of risk management tools at our disposal. We are also aware that those whose illicit businesses have been significantly hindered by our activities will spare no effort in devising new methods to counter us,” he said.