The Nigeria Customs Service, Area II Command, Onne Port, Rivers State, has disclosed that it generated total revenue of N107.3bn from duty paid on imported goods in 2019.
The Command clarified that the amount generated surpassed its N97.7bn annual target for the year under review by N11.6bn.
Customs Area Commander for the command- Aliyu Saidu, who spoke on the performance in Onne, disclosed that a total of 24 seizures with Duty Paid Value of N1.2bn were also recorded through its anti-smuggling activities.
Saidu asserted that the seizures were made due to wrong documentation, false declaration, wrong classification, concealment and non-provision of end-user certificates for the imported items.
“The seizures are 99 containers, comprising vegetable oil, detergents, bags of foreign rice, scraps metals, corrugated aluminium sheets, furniture, tin tomatoes (tomato paste), insect repellent/killer, bales of fabrics and wax materials,” he added.
He further disclosed that preliminary investigations carried out by the service revealed that the primary motive for the items being smuggled was to evade paying the correct duty.
On export, he added that a total of 255,407 metric tonnes of goods with a total Free on Board value of $78,402,057 equivalent to N28,420,745,662.5 at N362.5 per dollar were processed through the area last year.
“Also, comparing the revenue generated between 2018 and 2019, a total of N94,044,676,428.01 was realised in 2018. This shows a 14 per cent increase in revenue generated in 2019 as against 2018,” he added.
The area commander frowned on the continued menace of smuggling across the ports and borders and lamented the detrimental effects it had on the nation’s security, social and economic well-being.
He advised those involved in such unpatriotic behaviour to desist from it and warned that the command would not spare anyone as efforts would be intensified in locating and investigating the economic saboteurs.
Saidu broke down some of the seizures made in 2019;
15,317 jerry cans of 25 litres of vegetable oil, valued at N110,211,278.00;
20 x 20ft containers loaded with tin tomato paste with the DPV of N272,261,026.00 and
13,306 cartons of Eva complexion soap (detergent) with the DPV of N125,966,675.00.
