Customs
Customs demonises officer amidst claims of official complicity in smuggling of petroleum products across border
The Eyewitness reporter
The Nigeria Customs Service has described as an “unstable mind” one of his patrol officers attached to the Federal Operations Unit Zone D in Adamawa over his outlandish claims which indicted a customs controller of compromise in the smuggling of petroleum products across the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
The unnamed officer, in a viral video, showing fully-loaded tankers carrying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as Petrol along Nigeria- Cameroon border, claimed that the products were being smuggled across the border to Cameroon.
The officer, speaking in Yoruba, further claimed that after he stopped the tankers with smuggled products, he was allegedly summoned by a customs Controller whose name he didn’t mention, claiming that he was being threatened for daring to stop the illicit act.
While pouring vituperation on the unnamed Controller, he said he has spent 11 years at the borders, stopping the smuggling of Nigerian oil across the borders, but was never rewarded with juicy postings to the choice commands in Lagos ports or Seme border.
Mr Adesanmi Omiye is the Customs Comptroller in charge of the zone.
Reacting to the embarrassing viral video, the Customs Service dismissed the claims of the officer whom it said was of an unstable mind.
In the statement signed by the National Public Relations Officer of Customs, Deputy Comptroller Timi Bomodi, the said officer has since been arrested and awaiting medical evaluation.
“Nigeria Customs Service is compelled to respond to a recent video making the rounds on social media.
” This video depicts a half-clad individual recording himself while claiming to have arrested trucks carrying premium motor spirit across the border as an officer of Nigeria Customs Service.
“The facts are as follows; the person in the video is indeed an officer of Nigeria Customs Service, and he is currently attached to the Federal Operations Unit Zone D in Adamawa.
“This incident occurred on Wednesday 2nd of November 2022 at Malabo Checkpoint on Belel Road, Adamawa state.
” It is important to note that 55 kilometers separate this location from the nearest border.
“Between the place where this incident occurred and the border, there are fully operational petrol stations.
” Preliminary investigations indicate that the drivers on these trucks were in possession of duly signed product distribution sheets for consignments allocated by PPMC for filling stations within that vicinity.
” As vehicles in transit, they are considered still to be well within city limits and therefore can neither be accused of nor arrested for transporting goods across the border.
“All our officers are compelled by a strict dress code to not only be in uniform while on duty, but to adorn their name tags for easy identification by members of the public.
“The state in which this officer depicted himself in this video, his comportment and his speech suggests a level of incoherence associated with people of an unstable mind.
” Indeed, his actions led to his immediate withdrawal by the Controller Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘D’, who instructed his detention pending medical evaluation.
“The NCS seriously frowns at any action that is inimical to the economic well-being of our nation.
” Our battle with smuggling has been unequivocal and unyielding. Our checkpoints are usually manned by a team of officers all of whom are assigned specific responsibilities.
“The levels of checks and counter-checks created as part of the NCS strategic enforcement initiative have made it extremely difficult for breaches to occur.
“Nigeria Customs Service wants to assure members of the public of the commitment of its officers and men to securing our borders.
“We ask for your understanding in this endeavor even as we seek your prayers for those whose health and well-being may have been compromised by stress while carrying out their onerous assignment” the statement concluded.
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Customs
Tinubu celebrates Adeniyi on his 59th birthday
Customs
Onyeka, Tin Can CAC, set to pursue revenue generation aggressively
— vows to surpass 1 trillion naira revenue record
Funso OLOJO
The Area Controller of the Tin Can island command of the Nigeria customs service, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, has set an ambitious goal of meeting and surpassing the one trillion naira revenue mark achieved last year by his predecessor, ACG Dera Nnadi.
It would be recalled that the command was given a revenue target of N1.4 trillion in 2024 while it realized a little about N1.226 trillion ,an unprecedented record that was never achieved in the history of the command.
Meanwhile, Comptroller Onyeka, has vowed to sustain the revenue momentum as he would aggressively pursue revenue collection.
Speaking while playing host to the Executive council of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria(MARAN) which paid him a courtesy visit in his office on Friday, January 17th, 2025, the Customs chief disclosed his strategy to carry out his assignment.
According to him, he would facilitate legitimate trade, ensure 100 percent examination of all imports while he would energise his men and officers to key into his vision.
“I’ll facilitate trade, but it has to be legitimate trade. That’s what I feel I should do in the strict sense.
“You know, I’m coming from the aspect of revenue. So, it is my prayer and my hope to meet my target and surpass it.
“But principally, what I am going to fight is the ability to do this job without examination.
“I have appealed to my officers, whatever it is they have to do, let them see the containers, once we’ve examined them, everything should be on cruise control because if you examine, you’ll now know if it’s supposed to go out or not.
“I’ve involved Customs Intelligence Unit, CIU, I’ve involved Valuation Unit, I’ve spoken to all relevant Units and it’s my prayer, by the grace of God, that all of us will be on the same page to make sure that the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is brought to fruition” he noted.
He was full of gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi , for the confidence reposed in him and vowed never to disappoint him.
“I also appreciate the fact that our indefatigable Comptroller General Of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi to whom I’m very grateful.
“He needs to be made to know that he didn’t make any mistake for him to have brought me here.
“I am very grateful to him and his management team, and I need to make him proud” he enthused.
Comptroller Onyeka also vowed to build on the foundation that has been laid by his predecessor, Assistant Comptroller General Dera Nnadi.
“In anti-smuggling, he did well. In revenue generation, he did superbly well, same goes for infrastructure development.
“His Public Relations was top-notch, which I’m going to leverage.
“He was fortunate to have what I consider a very fantastic rapport with the media because that’s his background. I intend to leverage that. I intend to do better in that aspect” he added.
Earlier, in his address, the President of MARAN, Mr Godfrey Bivbere expressed the willingness of the association to partner with the CAC and the Command to achieve the target ahead of the command.
He reiterated the firm resolution of the association to accord Comptroller Onyeka the same support accorded to his predecessor.
Customs
Pressure mounts on Customs as National Assembly reviews N6.5 trillion 2025 revenue target to N12 trillion.
—– as the service closes 2024 with N6.105 trillion revenue collection
Funso OLOJO
The National Assembly seems to be stretching the capacity of the Nigeria customs service for revenue generation to the limit as it has given the service an unprecedented task of generating a whooping sum of N12 trillion in 2025 into the government coffers.
This amount doubles the N6.5 trillion earlier projected revenue target for the service in 2025.
Apparently cashing in on the blistering revenue- generating performance of the service which surpassed the N5.079 trillion target of 2024 by 20.2 percent, the laws makers made the adjustment to the initial set target for 2025.
The National Assembly’s joint committee on Finance led by its chairmen, Senator Sani Musa and Hon. James Faleke, believed that the projection of N6.5 trillion was conservative and encouraged the NCS to aim higher.
Their decision followed the opinions of members of the joint committee who argued that the customs, based on its past geometric rise in revenue collection over the years, has the capacity to generate more that the projected target for 2025.
“Based on the aggregate opinions expressed by members of this committee, the Comptroller-General of Customs should aim at generating N12 trillion revenue for Nigeria in 2025, almost doubling the N6.5 trillion proposed by Customs itself,” Senator Musa said.
The adjustments were made during budget and revenue projection defence sessions on Tuesday, where Chief Executives from various federal agencies presented their 2024 budgets and 2025 revenue forecasts.
Meanwhile, the Comptroller-General of the Customs, Adewale Adeniyi on Tuesday, January 14th, 2025 in Abuja, made a public presentation of the performance of the service in 2024.
At the public presentation, Adeniyi gave account of the impressive performance of the service in revenue generation, trade facilitation, anti – smuggling efforts and other capacity – enhancing programmes of the agency in 2024.
According to him, the service collected₦6,105,315,543,489.50 in 2024
which surpassed the revenue target of ₦5,079,069,866,085.50 by ₦1,026,245,677,404.00, representing a 20.2% increase above the target.
Similarly, the service processed imports with a Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) value of ₦60.29 trillion in 2024, representing a remarkable 117.4% increase from ₦27.74 trillion in 2023.
” This was achieved through 1,262,988 import transactions, handling a total mass of 15.35 billion kilograms.
“The higher value recorded despite an 8.2% decrease in transaction volume from the previous year’s 1,376,514 transactions indicates a shift towards higher-value goods in our import trade portfolio.”
Equally, the service recorded an impressive trade performance with the total CIF value rising significantly to ₦136.65 trillion in 2024 from ₦42.77 trillion in 2023, marking a 219.5% increase.
“While the number of export transactions remained relatively stable at 38,199 compared to 38,294 in 2023, we witnessed a substantial increase in export volume, processing 12.35 billion kilograms in 2024 compared to 3.70 billion kilograms in 2023.
“This 234% increase in export mass, coupled with the higher value, indicates a robust growth in our export trade and suggests increasing competitiveness of Nigerian products in the international market.
“The total trade value handled by the Service in 2024 amounted to ₦196.94 trillion, compared to ₦70.50 trillion in 2023, representing a 179.3% increase.
” This substantial growth in trade value, achieved with fewer but more valuable transactions, is evident of the increasing sophistication of Nigeria’s international trade and the effectiveness of our trade facilitation measures” the CGC declared.
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