Customs to seal off supermarkets selling foreign rice

February 22, 2020 2:58 pm

Pic 13. From left: Comptroller General, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali with Area Comptroller, Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, Mammud Aruna during the inspection of intercepted containers loaded with prohibited drugs in Lagos on Monday (27/3/17) 02104/28/3/2017/Wasiu Zubair/MO/ICE/NAN

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it will seal off shops and supermarkets selling foreign rice and other prohibited goods.

The service issued the warning in a letter with reference number NCS/KAN/053/S.28 and dated February 17, 2020.

Ahmed Nasir, customs area comptroller in charge of Kano/Jigawa, in the statement, said the decision is aimed at putting a stop to smuggling of prohibited items.

“In our effort to suppress smuggling, the Nigerian Customs Service Kano/Jigawa area command deemed it fit to write and seek for your cooperation to stop patronising foreign rice and other prohibited items in your supermarket/shops to avoid being closed by customs operatives,” the statement read.

The government has continued to encourage Nigerians to purchase and consume homegrown products.

In August, Nigeria shut its land borders across the country — an action President Muhammadu Buhari said was taken to check smuggling.

Hameed Ali, comptroller-general of the service, said the closure of the borders was undertaken to “strengthen the nation’s security and protect its economic interests”.