A unit of the Nigeria Customs Service known as the Customs Headquarters Compliance Team, Ogun State axis has intercepted a Mack Truck fully loaded with 1,533 cartons of 2-stroke engine generators popularly called “I better pass my neighbour” along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The team in another operation also intercepted a Maxi-bus transporting 542 cartons of foreign frozen poultry products along the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode expressway.
The team leader, Assistant Comptroller Shittu Almaruf in a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ Uche Ejesieme, a copy of which sent to SHIPS & PORTS DAILY at the weekend stated the truck was taken to Customs warehouse in Abeokuta alongside the mini-bus conveying the frozen poultry products, where 100% examination was conducted to ascertain the quantity of items seized.
He stated that the team was devising other means of ensuring that the activities of smugglers in its coverage area were curtailed adding that the team had been carrying anti-smuggling campaign to all the nooks and crannies of Ogun State, promising that his team would remain deeply committed to the task of suppressing the illicit activity.
Speaking on the reasons for seizing the generators, he said, “The Nigeria Customs Service is merely enforcing a law which emanated from a memo of the Federal Ministry of Environment advising the Government on its health implications.
“This ban came into effect on 28th April, 2011 and was officially gazette in May of the same year. Recall that the Federal Government gazette No 47 Volume 98 stated categorically that the purpose of this regulation is to restore, preserve and improve the quality of air.”
He stated further that it was specially intended to safeguard citizen’s right and access to clean air, reduce and prevent air pollution and improve the health of Nigerians especially in the urban areas with high incidence of air pollution in view of the poisonous gaseous emission.
With regards to the seized frozen poultry products, he said, “We are not relenting in our effort to protect the health of Nigerians as well as the huge investments of our local farmers. We will continue to frustrate their (smugglers) efforts until they hearken to the voice of reason.
“These products, beyond the fact they fall under the import prohibition list, are also very detrimental to human health, hence not good for consumption.”
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