‘Donkey genitals, sea cucumbers’ — customs seizes N6.06bn worth of goods in Lagos

The Muritala Muhammed Area Command (MMAC) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has seized smuggled goods worth N6.06 billion between January and June.

Michael Awe, the command’s comptroller, who spoke to journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, said the agency also generated N80.3 billion in revenue during the period in review.

Awe noted that the revenue represents a 107.5 percent increase from the N38.7 billion generated in the same period in 2023.

He credited the increase in revenue to the support from Bashir Adeniyi, the comptroller-general of customs, and his management team.

He noted that the revenue difference was achieved through “officers’ resilience in ensuring proper declarations and adherence to import/export guidelines”. 

Awe stated that “officers were vigilant in enforcing government fiscal policies and trade regulations”.

“The Command seized five packages of 250 mg tramadol, 12 packages of 225 mg tramadol, and one package of 50-round 9mm live ammunition,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“Other seizures include 46 packages of dried sea cucumbers, three packages of dried donkey male genitals, and 55 pieces of Jojef Tomahawk semi-automatic rifles.

“The cumulative duty paid value (DPV) of the aforementioned items stood at N6.06 billion.

“These items are seized mainly because of various forms of infractions, which range from false declarations, non-adherence to import/export guidelines, and failure to comply with other extant regulations as enshrined in the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCS Act) 2023.”

On stakeholders’ engagement, he noted that the command’s open-door policy helped resolve many issues of common interest.

“I urge our partners in the clearance value chain to brace up for emerging challenges as we work together to move the country forward,” he said.

He commended the officers of the command for their dedication to fighting smugglers while urging them to adhere strictly to the rules of engagement.

He appreciated the contributions of genuine stakeholders, other security agencies, and the media.