The Headquarters Strike Force Team of the Nigeria Customs Service has seized contraband foreign parboiled rice and second-hand clothing worth N137 million in the past one month in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.
National Coordinator of the Team, Deputy Comptroller, Abdullahi Kirawa, who disclosed this to reporters while inspecting the items at the Government Warehouse in Calabar on Wednesday, said a total of 5, 662 50kg bags of rice were seized, of which 2, 153 was handed over to them by the Nigerian Navy.
Kirawa said this showed the level of cooperation and synergy that exists between the Customs and other sister security agencies.
“It is of note that these seizures would not have been possible without the motivation of the team by the headquarters, particularly the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali rtd, who has given us all that we need to ensure that not only is smuggling reduced to the barest minimum, but that we ensure that the menace of these people is not perpetuated in this area.
“I use this medium to call on members of the public to help us with valuable and credible information so that we make more of these arrests.
“These seizures were just in the period of one month. You know this is the yuletide period and a lot of smuggling activities would be on the increase but then because of the doggedness and the determination of the officers to excel and ensure that we perform our duties to the best of our abilities, we would ensure they are arrested and the perpetuators are brought to book,” Kirawa said.
Kirawa, was conducted round by the leader of the Strike Force Team in Zone C, which consists of Calabar, South-South and South-East, Assistant Comptroller Kolade Kayode.
