The Nigeria Customs Service Kwara State Command has today 26th of January holds a press briefing at the command headquarters
in Ilorin on the scorecard of the area from the period of January 1st, 2020 to 31st of December.
The press briefing which was chaired by the Customs Area Controller Kwara State, Comptroller A.H Bello at his office said the Kwara Area Command has a core function of Revenue Generation, suppression of smuggling of goods, and trade facilitation.
Compt Ahmed Bello in his speech said as the drive to increase the nation’s economy, the command has generated the sum of six billion, nine hundred and six million, four hundred and sixteen thousand, twenty-two Naira Eleven Kobo (#6,906,416,022.11) between January to December 2020 which approximately represent eighty-six percent 86% of the annual target as against Two Billion Four Hundred and Four Million Three Hundred and Eighteen Thousand Forty-Three Naira (#2, 404, 318, 043.00) in the year 2019.
From the above record of 2020, it’s vividly shown that there was an increase of Four Billion, Five Hundred and Two Million Ninety-Seven Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy Nine Naira Eleven Kobo (N 4,502,097,979.11) in the year compared to what was generated in the year 2019.
Also in his address, he said the Kwara Area Command was created on 21st May 2019 during the 50th regular meeting of the Nigeria Customs Service Board and he was posted to the State as a pioneer Customs Area Controller, stating that under his leadership, the Kwara Area Command has generated and remitted the sum of Nine Billion Three Hundred and Ten Million Seven Hundred and Thirty-Four Thousand Sixty Five Naira Eleven Kobo (N 9,310,734,065.11) into the federation account.
This great feat was achieved through the rejigged efforts of my sectional heads for effective performance and measures put in place to get the economic saboteurs apprehended, he said.
Compt Ahmed Bello said the reason for not meeting up with the stipulated last year budget was as a result of the pandemic that came with the lockdown, Endsars protest, and Border Drill Exercise( Partial Border Closure) that was initiated by the federal government which commenced on the 20th August 2019 placing a temporary embargo on the movement of goods and persons through the land border nationwide, stating that in April 2020, the command could not generate a single kobo as a result of the lockdown.
On the 23rd of October 2020, the Command was reportedly attacked by hoodlums disguised as Endsars protesters with the intention of looting and setting the command properties ablaze, the hoodlums which came in a large number armed with guns, machetes, axes, charms, and other dangerous weapons in an attempt to unleash mayhem on the command, two of the command officers was said to be injured, twenty-seven motorcycles(27) and two(2) was seized and two suspects were arrest at the scene.
In his statement, said the anti-smuggling operations recorded a total of Eighty Four (84) seizures with the duty paid value (DPV) of Three Hundred and Forty-Five Million Two Hundred and Five Thousand One Hundred Naira (#345, 205, 100) as against the period of 2019 with fourteen (14) seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of forty-Two Million Six Hundred and Twenty Eight Thousand Seven Hundred Naira (#42, 628, 700)
The seizures include 3,551 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 51 used vehicles of various make, 3,543kg of marijuana,225 kegs of vegetable oil, and 30 Jerricans of PMS.
Stating that the 48 sacks containing 3,593kg of Marijuana have been handed over to the NDLEA.
Also Aftermath of the Endsars protest, a commendation letter was sent to the Command by the comptroller general of customs for exhibiting gallantry in the handling the attack and the affair of the year 2020.
However, he warns the recalcitrant people who still engage in illicit business that they will not escape the long arm of law.
He furthermore commanded the compliant stakeholders, border communities for their support and cooperation, stressing that the command will take full advantage of the resources available to increase revenue collection and facilitation of legitimate trade.
