Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NIS) has generated N10.027 billion into the federal government’s coffers between January and May 2024.
The command under review also seized 21 prohibited items worth a total duty-paid value of N35,416,140.
The contraband and prohibited items seized by the customs officers included 507 bags of foreign rice, one unit of used vehicles, 1,055 pieces of used tyres, and 164 Jerry cans of petrol, each 25 litres, totalling 4,100 litres.
The customs area controller, Kwara Area Command, Faith Ojeifo, made these disclosures in Ilorin, the state capital while briefing newsmen on the command’s activities in the last six months.
The event also featured the distribution of empowerment items to members of the Customs Officers Wives Association (COWA) and the donation of relief materials to the Kwara State Ministry of Social Development for further distribution to the society’s most vulnerable members.
Ojeifo said, “I want to inform you that from January to May 2024, we collected and remitted a total sum of N10,027 580,694.63.
“A comparative review of the preceding year, 2023, indicates that the command surpassed what was collected in the same period last year with N2,885,779,644.03, which represents a 40.41 percent increment.
“Within the period under review, I rejig my operation teams, which led to 21 seizures of different prohibited items. These include 507 bags of foreign rice, one unit of used vehicles, 1,055 pieces of used tyres, and 164 jerry cans of PMS of 25 litres each (4,100 litres). The total duty paid value is – N35, 416,140,00.”
The area commander said donating relief materials to the Ministry of Social Development symbolised the comptroller general of Customs’ shared commitment to caring for those in need.
On the empowerment of members of COWA, Ojeifo said, “We recognise that women are the pillars of our families, our communities, and our economies. They are the ones who nurture, educate, and inspire future generations. They take care of our children and homefront while we are far away from home doing our jobs of protecting the nation’s border from offensive goods like arms and ammunition, drugs and other illicit goods.
“The empowerment aims to keep you busy, self-dependent and productive while you are far away from home, which will no doubt reduce the burden of always waiting on your husbands.
“After months of extensive training of registered wives and widows of customs officers in different empowerment training programmes such as baking, cosmetics, sewing, and other skill acquisition. Today, under my leadership, we empower about 67 wives and widows of customs officers with sewing machines, baking ovens and make-up kits.”