By Godfrey Bivbere & Ebuka Oko

Zone ‘A’, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Assistant Comptroller General, ACG Kaycee Ekekezie has said that the zone collects over 90 percent of all revenue by the Service from January to November, 2018.

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She said that the figure is contrary to widely held believe that the zone collects only 70 percent of the revenue.

Zone A comprises of all customs command in the western states.

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While briefing maritime press in Lagos, Ekekezie said that the Zone achieved the feat due to the doggedness of the Customs Officers and the media, whose efforts in combating smuggling and other port related crimes have been of great help to the Zone.

“Out of the entire generated revenue by the NCS which amounts to N1.037 trillion, Zone ‘A’ generated N1.08 trillion, which is over 98 percent of the entire revenue.”

She said the achievement from the Zone was due to the strategic position it occupies, as the most port activities were majorly centered in the zone.

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“We achieved this because this is where it happens, the mega seaports are located here” she added. Also speaking at the event, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Joseph Attah, said that the porous borders as well as the non-cooperative attitude of some border dwellers are some of the challenges they are facing in eradicating smuggling in the country.

Attah further disclosed that use of motorcycles and animals to smuggle goods through difficult terrains and the willingness of Nigerians to help smugglers is also a challenged faced by officers and men of the Service.

Attah said despite all the challenges faced this year; the Service recorded 4,010 seizures with Duty Paid Value, DPV of N40 billion, they also recorded a total number of 238,094 (50kg) bags of rice, and containers of Tramadol.