The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) approved the evacuation of some contraband items seized by Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, Lagos to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Borno State.
The Area Controller of the Unit, Mohammed Uba, who made the disclosure to journalists on Wednesday in Lagos, said the items had been forfeited to the government after being condemned by the court.
Perishable items intercepted and impounded by officers of the unit account for the bulk of the items to be sent to the camps.
He said, “For avoidance of doubt, after Court processes and Condemnation, the Presidential Committee on IDPS chaired by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) has approved the evacuation of the following items to Borno State Government for distribution to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) through the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport (NASCT).
“25,318 bags of Rice 50kg (42 Trailers), 3,366 jerrycans of 25 litres, 175 gallons of vegetable oil (5 litres), 1,564 bales and 122 sacks of second-hand clothing, 196 sacks and 938 pairs of used shoes. Hence the reason you see trucks lined up by the Government warehouse.”
Uba disclosed at the press conference that his men had made more seizures believed to have contravened the law of Customs. He said the seizures would be forfeited to the Federal Government.
He said the detained/seized items include: 30 vehicles including seven Toyota Hilux (2018 models), three Toyota Prado jeeps (2017), one Range Rover, one Ford Edge (2015), 5,516 bags of foreign parboiled rice (nine trailers), 1,078 cartons of frozen poultry products, 216 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 173 bales of used clothing, 683 pieces of used tyres, eight sacks of Indian hemp weighing 134 kg among others.
Also, two containers with no: MSKU130295/2 and MRKU877714/0 had been seized for false declaration with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N25 million.