The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has announced that it generated N743 million in revenue for the month of February. The command’s Public Relations Officer, Isah Suleiman, shared the information in a statement released on Thursday.
“As part of its core mandate of revenue generation, the command collected a total of N743 million in February,” the statement said.
The Customs Area Controller for the Seme command, Ban Oramalugo emphasized that this achievement highlights the command’s dedication to preventing revenue leakages and ensuring optimal revenue collection for the country’s development. He also reported that the total surcharge for the month was N2.4 million.
Oramalugo stressed that the command would continue to implement trade facilitation initiatives to create a more efficient, transparent, and predictable trade environment, contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth. Since taking office, Oramalugo has introduced strategic measures aimed at improving revenue generation, trade facilitation, anti-smuggling operations, and inter-agency collaboration.
These efforts, he noted, align with the NCS mandate and the vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who has prioritized collaboration among stakeholders to combat smuggling and enhance border security.
Oramalugo highlighted that the command’s intensified anti-smuggling efforts had led to significant seizures. During the period in question, the command intercepted 444 parcels of cannabis sativa (marijuana), 181 packs of tramadol, 600 bottles of 100ml codeine syrup, 240 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), 1,809 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 17 sacks of used shoes, 56 bales of used clothes, and 203 pieces of used tires.
The total duty-paid value of these seized items was N267 million. Oramalugo explained that these seizures, which violate sections of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, underscore the command’s commitment to curbing smuggling within the Seme Border Corridor.
In line with inter-agency collaboration, he confirmed that the seized cannabis sativa had been handed over to the Seme Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), with the approval of the Comptroller-General of Customs.
