By  Ifeyinwa Obi

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) may have shifted the focus of its anti-smuggling efforts as it has currently put scores of officers and men on trial with several others still being investigated for allegedly aiding smugglers to carry out their nefarious trade.

Comptroller General of Customs Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi reading his address during the inauguaration of Chinnaka anti smuggling squard in Abuja recently

It was gathered that the service has decided to clamp down on its officers because it realised that it is practically impossible for an importer to successfully clear any consignment with irregularities, like concealment, improper documentation, contraband, evasion of duty payment, without the active support of a customs officer.

It is believed that if officers are punished for aiding the crimes, it could reduce the rate of smuggling and evasion of duty payment.
Four officers from the Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) command were interrogated at the headquarters in Abuja over their alleged involvement in duty underpayment to the tune of N23 million for two Mercedes 2009 model bullet proof jeeps, which belong to Godwin Ndudi Elumelu, former chairman, House Committee on Power.

Also, some customs officers were invited to Abuja to answer questions on their involvement in the clearance of a container laden with 450.4 kilogrammes of cocaine worth over N4 billion imported into Nigeria from Republic of Chile.

Customs area controller of the Tin Can Island Port command, Austen Warikoru said that more than 10 officers in his command are being interrogated for irregular release of cargo, adding that with the ongoing investigation into such releases, more officers would be added to those currently on trial.

According to him, when there are irregularities, there must be complicity from within, adding that the clamp down on its officers shows that the service has zero tolerance for illegalities.

Corroborating Warikoru, CAC of federal operations unit (FOU) zone ‘A’, comptroller Emmanuel Kane said no contraband can exit the port without the complicity of customs officer.

Kane spoke while addressing newsmen on his command’s activities since the beginning of the year. He said that more than 15 officers are being interrogated for irregular release of containers, which were eventually seized by FOU operatives on major highways for containing contraband, concealment and other offences.

Several containers containing offensive imports have been intercepted by FOU operatives on the highway after they had been duly cleared from the ports and border posts.