From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
The Kano/Jigawa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has generated N21, 018, 691, 478.34 billion in the year 2020, surpassing its revenue collection target of N20, 407, 853, 965.37 billion for the year.
According to the newly posted Comptroller of Customs in charge of the Command, Mr. Suleiman Pai Umar, this shows an increase of 8.4 per cent as against the revenue collection of 2019 which was put at N13, 978, 294, 694.21.
He added that, “this year’s revenue target for the Command was N20, 407, 853, 965.37, but despite the challenge, the Command in her effort was able to generate the sum of N21, 18, 691, 473.34 as against N13, 978, 294, 694.21 that was collected during the same period of last year.”
Pai Umar, who addressed journalists at the Club Road Headquarters of the Command in Kano, also hinted that the Command made about 353 seizures between January and December this year, with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N924, 628, 456 million.
According to him, within the last two weeks of assuming duty as the Area Comptroller in charge of Kano/Jigawa Command, men and officers of the Command were able to make several seizures amounting with DPV of N23, 723, 373 million.
He listed the seized contraband items to include 390 bags of foreign rice valued at N8, 468,070; 20 Jerrycans of vegetable oil worth N340, 000; 182 bales of second hand cloths valued at N7, 045,766; 100 cartons of Mosquito Coil valued at N6, 435,000.
Other seized contraband items displayed by Comptroller Pai Umar include 98 packs of spaghetti worth N379, 260; 35 cartons of Green Tea valued at N677, 477; 190 cartons and six packs of Tin Tomatoe worth N164, 500; 79 cartons of condensed milk valued at N213, 300.
He further stated that the seizures were made at different locations within the Command’s areas of coverage.
He added that, “most of those contraband goods were conveyed in commercial buses and cars meant for transportation of people and goods but were converted to perpetrate this dastardly act.
” The law that prohibits the importation of rice and other prohibited items through our borders are not new, so, those who claim ignorance of the ban/restrictions have no excuse.”
He further stated that, “the year 2020 has been a challenging year due to the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the world which no doubt affected global businesses including Nigeria.”
