The Area 11 Command of the Nigeria Customs Onne in Rivers State and Apapa Customs in Lagos generated N637 billion in 2020.
While Customs at Onne generated N119bn, that of Apapa generated N518bn. The Onne head, Comptroller Muhammed Auwal said the figure was N11.6bn higher than the N107.3bn collected in 2019. He also said the Command achieved N13bn monthly collection for the first time in its 37 year history.
Auwal said the Command made 37 seizures with the total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1bn while two suspects were arrested. The items seized include 6,249,900 tablets of tramadol, 5,615 kegs of 25 litres of vegetable oil, 817 bags of rice, 3,047 bales of second-hand clothes, 86 bales of used hand bags and 3, 440 pieces of donkey skins.
At the Apapa command, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Abba-Kura, said the N518.1bn revenue in 2020 was N94.4bn higher than the N422.6bn generated in 2019.
Abba-Kura added that the Command seized 318 items with DPV of N21bn. It was about three times the 112 seizures of N12.5bn for 2019.
He highlighted the seized items to include 133 containers of unregistered pharmaceuticals, which include tramadol, 58 containers of foreign parboiled rice and 30 containers of vegetable oil.
Other seized items include 31 containers of used clothes and shoes, 13 containers of used tyres, and other sundry items.
The Command boss also said export was boosted from 262,095 metric tonnes in 2019 to 1.311 million MT in 2020 with a value of N104.3bn. The items exported include steel bars, agricultural and mineral products among others. (Daily Trust)
