The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Apapa Area Command has announced that it has made over N1.23 trillion in revenue in the first half of the year (January to June) despite a drop in import volumes.The Customs Area Comptroller, Apapa Area Command, Mr Babatunde Olomu, told reporters at a mid-year press conference in Lagos on Monday that the revenue for the same period in 2023 was up 143 percent from N421 billion.
He said the command has taken additional measures to prevent loss of national revenue.”When I assumed the position of Area Controller of Apapa, we established a Revenue Collection Committee made up of experienced and committed officials tasked with carrying out a detailed audit of leakage areas, particularly the customs terminals under Apapa’s command,” he said.Olomu said Apapa Customs was now combining intelligence and community relations to facilitate trade and combat crime. He said the command has a dedicated team of officers to address all complaints and resolve disputes in record time.
“Also, our non-invasive screening system is fully operational and we use scanners to check cargo while undergoing physical examinations as and when required, so there is no chance of economic saboteurs showing up,” he said.He assured stakeholders that the office is always open to discussions on anything that will promote legitimate trade and advance the government’s interests, including receiving information on suspected smuggling activities. “During the investigation, the command seized 11 containers of prohibited items including expired and unregistered medicines, footwear, used clothing, armored cables, and frozen poultry products with a duty payment value of N424 million.Meanwhile,
“Just last week, we discovered a large quantity of expired and unregistered medicines in three 40-foot containers bearing numbers TCKU 6928184, MRKU 4422733, and MRSU 5550243.””Another 3×40-foot container bearing numbers MNBU 3934925, MEDU 9107559, and MEDU 9752980 was loaded with 7,580 cartons of frozen poultry products unfit for human consumption. This is in violation of Annex 3 of the Revised Import Prohibition List of the Common External Tariff (CCT),” Olomu explained.The Head of Apapa Customs stated that the imported goods were seized for breaching Section 233 of the Nigerian Customs Act, 2023.
He warned that the adverse impact of counterfeit and unregistered medicines on the public cannot be quantified and that the Customs Service has a duty to protect Nigerians from such dangerous imports.”I would like to use this opportunity to warn smugglers and other forms of criminal activities frowned upon in the Nigerian Customs Act, 2023 and other extant laws that the Apapa Command is ready to nip illegal imports in the bud,” he said.He commended the Inspector General of Customs and the management team for providing us with the necessary support and guidance in the performance of our duties.
