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The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday, approved the evacuation of some seized contraband items to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Borno State.
Perishable items intercepted and seized by officers of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Lagos, form the bulk of the items to be sent to the camp, the agency said at a press conference in Lagos.
Mohammed Uba, the Area Controller of the Unit, said the items had been forfeited to the government after being condemned by the court.
“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),” Mr Uba said.
“25,318 bags of Rice 50kg (42 Traillers), 3,366 jerrycans of 25 liters, 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,” he said.
Mr Uba said 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.
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.
“A total of 14 suspects were arrested in connection to these 125 seizures,” Mr Uba said.
