The Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Thursday said it collected N1.07 billion in the first two months of 2018.
A statement by the command’s Spokesman, Taupyen Selchang, in Lagos said the amount was N28 million lower than the command’s expected revenue target of N1.35 billion.
The statement also quoted the command’s Comptroller, Mohammed Aliyu, as saying that the command was no longer a safe haven for illicit activities and trans-border crimes.
According to him, any attempt by deviant stakeholders will be met with stiff penalties by the proactive officers and men of the command’s anti-smuggling unit.
“The command also intercepted 2,200 cartons of banned tin tomatoes and 63 second-hand front and rear lamps of vehicles.
“The tomatoes were concealed in a truck marked LND 759 XE along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway while the lamps were found in a bus marked KRO 530 EP on the same route.
“The goods with a Duty Paid Value of over N6 million have been deposited at one of the command’s warehouses,” he said.
Aliyu added that the new intelligence-driven operational strategy adopted by the command was yielding positive results.
The Customs boss warned officers to be wary of the current wind of change blowing through the service and urged them to key into the reform agenda of the Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali.
He noted that failure to comply with approved procedures and guidelines would be met with severe disciplinary actions, commensurate with the offence committed in line with the service regulations.