The Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Area Command, disclosed it intercepted different contrabands, including 8,850 litres of petrol and 168 sacks of fake medicament between August and September 2024.
Dr. Ben Oramalugo, Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, said in a statement on Wednesday that the command earned N23.9 billion in revenue during the review period.
The Customs chief stated that the amount marks a 27.5 percent rise over the sum of N17.3 billion produced in the similar period of 2023.
Oramalugo noted that revenue demonstrated the command’s dedication to effective revenue collection through enhanced compliance, enforcement, and monitoring.
“Cumulatively, for the period covering January to September 2024, the command has generated the sum of N56.6bn. This also reflects a 7.85 percent increase when compared to the sum of N52.2bn generated in the corresponding period of January to September 2023,” Oramalugo.
He stated that the great success in revenue collection is a remarkable achievement in light of the current financial difficulties affecting both enterprises and citizens.
Oramalugo stated that the cash produced indicates command officers’ perseverance and determination to ensure strict compliance with customs laws and regulations while facilitating legal trade.
He emphasised that the service understands its critical role in the nation’s economic recovery and is dedicated to maintaining an upward revenue trajectory.
“The bulk of this revenue came from legitimate production activities by excise factories within the command‘s area of responsibility, and the officers have ensured thorough documentation checks to avoid any revenue leakages,” he said.
The CAC stated that during the time under review, the command seized 433 bags of foreign rice weighing 50 kg each, 61 bales of second-hand clothing, 93 pieces of used tires, and 49 sacks of cannabis weighing 744.9 kg.
“Other contrabands include 8,850 litres of premium motor spirit, 46 cartons of analgin injection, 68 sacks of amoxicillin capsule, three cartons of Buscomat tablets, six sacks of Juscopan tablets, five sacks of chloramphenicol tablets, 11 sacks of Ampiclox capsules, 11 sacks of Arthromether tablets, two sacks of fulcin tablets, and 13 packets of pentazocine injection,” he added.
The CAC reported that the duty-paid value of the recovered contraband was N755 million.
The Oyo/Osun customs boss stated that the command would hand over phoney pharmaceutical drugs worth N596 million to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, as well as 49 bags of cannabis sativa worth N46.9 million to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Oramalugo emphasised that the command’s increased border patrols along the Oyo and Osun Axis have significantly disrupted smuggling operations, with 31 successful seizures of commodities carried via illicit routes.
He claimed that the command’s increasing use of technology has expedited processes and increased transparency, which has resulted in improved compliance among command stakeholders.
Oramalugo attributed the anti-smuggling efforts to better intelligence gathering and coordination with local populations.
He also stated that they have strengthened our network of informants, which has helped us discover and neutralise smuggling operations in the region.
