By Ifeyinwa Obi

In a move aimed at enhancing its operations along the border posts at the Northern axis of the country, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is to mount scanning machines along the posts.

The first border line to benefit from the initiative is the Jiba border post in Katsina State, where the mechanical device is to be installed before the end of this month.

Tukura Danladi Haruna, area controller of Customs in charge of Kano/Jigawa states command, made this disclosure  while addressing newsmen.

He said the move to commence the installation of the device in Northern parts of the country is geared at boosting the efficiency and effectiveness of the agency in the area.

According to him, the installation of the machine would go a long way in checking illegal importation as well as illegal exportation activities along the border posts.

“I want to make it clear that the Nigeria Customs Service which is a major stakeholder in the economy of the country in its bid to promote efficiency has resolved to install scanning machines at the border posts in the country.
“The first border line that will benefit from this effort is the Jiba border post, where the machine will be installed before the end of this month”, he stated.

Commenting on the increasing wave of smuggling of contrabands taking place in the country, Haruna attributed the development mainly to the collapse of the industrial sector. “The Customs is doing its best to arrest the act of smuggling into the state but as you know the vast and porous nature of most of the posts in this part of the country is making it a bit difficult.

“Although as you know, our agency is also a trade facilitation body, in spite of this, we have remained pro-active in our task of reducing smuggling to the barest level in the states, under my command”, he stated.