The Nigeria Customs Service’s Kwara State Command reported a total revenue of N6, 246, 485,827.97 at the end of the second quarter of 2023.

Kehinde Dehinde Ilesanmi, Area Comptroller, stated this on Friday while speaking with journalists about its April to June 2023 scorecard.

He stated that the amount represents 9.14% of the revenue increase over the previous year 2022.

The results of our anti-smuggling activities coupled with the Command’s renewed drive in utilization of cutting-edge strategies had led to Fifty-Six (56) seizures of different items with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Forty-Eight Million Eight Hundred and Twenty-Two Thousand Four Hundred Naira (N48,822,400.00.

He stated that the items seized included ‘9 units of used vehicles of various types, 813 bags of foreign parboiled rice (50kg each), which is more than a truckload of rice, 24,950 liters of petroleum product in 998 Jeri cans (almost a trailer load) and 14 kegs of vegetable oil of 25 liters’.

He urged Nigerians to assist the Command by providing credible information that will aid in the fight against nip smuggling in the state.

He also warned economic saboteurs to stay away from Kwara Area Command and engage in meaningful ventures or face their doom.

He claimed that the removal of fuel subsidies by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu significantly reduced the smuggling of other commodities.

According to the customs area comptroller, the seized items, which included 14 kegs of 25 liters of vegetable oil, were seized at various border locations in the state, including Okuta, Chikanda, and Bukuru.

He said;

The smuggling of PMS and other commodities has drastically reduced because of subsidy removal. The capacity of smugglers to purchase and transport fuel now has been reduced just as it has affected fuel consumers.

Immediately after the removal of the subsidy by Nigeria, we heard of demonstrations in our neighboring countries.

Reconciling the situation in our borders after the announcement of the policy, smuggling has drastically reduced especially of petroleum products. But smugglers will not relent.

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