Onne Customs generates N243bn in six months

Source: The Guardian

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Area 2 said it generated N243b between January and June 2024 as well as intercepted seven containers of contraband goods worth over N3b within the same period.

The Customs Area Commander, Area 2 Command, Onne, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, disclosed this, yesterday, in Onne.

He said the revenue generated amounts to over 50 per cent of the initial target of N494b given to the command by the Federal Government.

Giving a description of the seized items, Babandede said four 20 feet containers with bales of clothing of duty paid value of N911.5m and two 400 feet containers with 2,625 cartons of codeine cough syrup, 80 cartons of Sildenatil Citrate tablets and 40 cartons of deluxe chilly cutter with duty paid value of N 2.25b. He also said one container of expired and banned second-hand electronics was also seized.

The comptroller emphasised that the seizures were made based on intelligence and collaboration with sister agencies. Babandede said investigations are still ongoing to arrest owners of the containers to bring them to book.

On the generated revenue, he said: "The command was initially given a target of N494b before it was reviewed two weeks ago to N618b as revenue target for 2024. As at the end of May 2024, the command had generated N249b which translates to 50.4 per cent of the initial target and 40.3 per cent of the current annual target.

"When compared to the same period last year, the command had an increase of N153b," he said. He was optimistic that the command would surpass its annual target by the end of the year.