The Adamawa/Taraba Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated the N145. 03 million as revenue from Jan. to Nov. 2017.
The Area Controller, Adetoye Francis, made this known in a statement in Yola on Saturday.
Francis said that the command also made 43 seizures amounting to a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N119.7 million.
Francis added that the seized items included smuggled rice, vehicles, textiles, and soap.
“The special focus on seizure of rice is to reinforced the Federal Government commitment to encouraging local production of rice, promote employment and stop dumping, among others.”
The controller warned smugglers in the border states to stop the activity as the service, under the present leadership of Comptroller General Hameed Ali had zero tolerance for smuggling.
“It is also to alert the members of the public that regardless of the idea being haboured or canvassed by a selfish section of the public, smuggling is not a trade, it’s a fraud and serious stealing from the national economy which has resultantly left the economy bleeding endlessly and profusely; from the jugular vein.
“The byproduct of which are unemployment, poverty, low purchasing power and near anarchy and instability ravaging the nation. It must stop,” Francis said.
In another development, the African Students Union Parliament (ASUP) has honoured Francis with ASUP Pan-African Leadership Award for his leadership quality and performance.
Presenting the award in a ceremony in Yola, the Speaker of the parliament, Mr Kewul Abel said that ASUP is an umbrella body that covers all students within the 54 member countries with the core objectives of encouraging corporation, harmonious coexistence among member states students for the promotion of peace and development.
“In doing this, we seek to find ourselves role models and mentors in life as we found in Compt. Olutade Francis Adetoye,” Abel said. (NAN)
