In its quest to comply with the Federal Government directives aimed at ensuring food security in the country, Kebbi Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service said it has toughened vigilance at its borders to checkmate any attempt to smuggle out food produce even as the Command intercepted one trailer fully loaded with bags of grains.
The outbound Daf truck with Reg. No. JEG 27 XB was intercepted by the Rapid Response Team of the Command along Maidahini-Bunza Road on 15th May 2022. Physical examination of the truck revealed that it contained 800bags of white sorghum valued at six million, two hundred and twenty-seven thousand, and two hundred Naira (6,227,200) naira.
Briefing newsmen on the command activities in the last two weeks in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday, the Customs Area Controller, Joseph Attah said vigilant officers of the command intercepted the same white sorghum being conveyed in a trailer along Kamba Road.
He said when the driver failed to produce export documents; the truck was detained in the Command’s Headquarters and was later released on the compassionate ground with the owner promising to return the product to their warehouse in Kaduna for domestic consumption. But upon the release of the truck, they went and transferred the content into the intercepted Daf truck thinking that was enough disguise to smuggle it out, unknown to them that an officer had been detailed to monitor their movement.
He said the command seized various items worth over N27 million in the first two weeks of May.