By Eguono Odjegba

DESPITE the scourge of COVID-19 pandemic which impacted adversely on the national economy, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Kano/Jigawa Area Command surpassed its 2020 revenue target of N20billion closing the period with N21.02 billion

The Customs Area Controller, CAC, Comptroller Sulaiman Umar, who disclosed this, indicated that the figure surpassed the 2019 actual revenue by 84 percent. In addition, Umar said operatives of the command under his watch impounded contraband items worth over N23.7million within the first two weeks of December 2020, putting the total Duty Paid Value of the 353 seizures at over N900million.

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Umar gave the breakdown of the seizures to include 390 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 20 Jerry cans of vegetable oil, 182 bales of second hand clothing, 100 cartons of mosquito repellants, among others. He added that 25 suspects arrested in connection with the seizures were charged to court but have been granted administrative bail.

He stated: ”As you all know, the core mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service is to collect revenue for the Federal Government and account for same, facilitate legitimate trade, suppress smuggling which is a serious threat to national security and economy, and provide security at the national borders.”