Nigeria Customs Seizes 177 Vehicles, 18,920 Bags Of Rice, Other Items

Items seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (File Photo)

A total of 177 units of vehicles, over 18,000 bags of rice, 1,475 kegs of vegetable oil as well as many other items has been impounded from smugglers by the Nigeria Customs Service through the Lagos border.

This was disclosed on Tuesday by the Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, Mr Mohammed Garba, when he hosted members of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff, led by Sen. Hope Uzodinma who visited the zone on oversight functions.

“After the goods are seized, they go through the process of condemnation through the court.

“The Customs and Excise Act provides that if officers of the service seized goods, they are going to be forfeited to the Federal Government.

“What we do is to urge the court to grant an order forfeiting the good to the Federal Government for the purpose of auctioning,’’ Mr. Garba said.

Garba also highlighted other items impounded by his unit, while adding that the Federal Operation Unit was an anti-smuggling unit and not a revenue generating unit.

“We also condemned 59 vehicles including trucks, 33,408 unused tyres; 18,920 bags of foreign rice and 793 bale of second-hand clothes.”

“339 bags of new textile materials and 1,475 kegs of vegetable oil of 25 litres were also condemned.”

“We make sure that goods that are not allowed to come in are not allowed and goods that adequate money for the government has not been collected, we ensure that such money is collected,’’ Garba said.

In his remarks, Sen. Uzodinma expressed dissatisfaction with the large number of goods and services seized which were yet to be destroyed, and also assured of the continuous support of the lawmakers in ensuring the Customs Service delivers its mandate.