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PTML Customs intercepts weapons, ammunition as it generates N239b revenue in 9 months 

Funso OLOJO
The Port Terminal Multi Services Limited(PTML) Command of Nigeria Customs Service has Collected a total of N239,233,530,265.48(Two hundred and thirty nine billion, two hundred and thirty three million, five hundred and thirty thousand, two hundred and sixty five naira, forty-eighty kobo) as revenue for the months of January to September 2024.

Controller of the command, Comptroller Tenny Mankini Daniyan disclosed that the total collection for January to September 2024 is N53,448,500,240 higher than the N185,785,030,025.47 collected for January to September 2023, showing a 29 percent increase.

On anti-smuggling, Comptroller Daniyan said the command made seizures worth a total duty paid value of N28,478,034.76.

He said the command made the following seizures including arms and ammunition comprising of 2 pistols, 260 ammunition, empty shells and cartridges of different types thereby preventing dangerous importation from entering the country.

Other seizures include
1. 1x40ft container No: ACLU9664782 found to contain-
i. 2,598 pieces of used motor tyres.
ii. 6 pieces of used fridges.
iii. 8 pieces of used Rug carpets.
iv. 2 pieces of used mattresses.
v. 2 bags containing used clothes, shoes and bags.

Duty Paid Value (DPV) = N8,009,436.00.
SEIZURES EXTRACTED FROM THE CONTAINER.
2. Foreign parboiled rice and vegetable oil extracted from 1x40ft container No: ACLU9810594.
i. 56 bags of premium parboiled rice (45.4kg each)
ii. 18 bags of Rice land parboiled rice (22.68kg each)
ii. 15 bags of premium parboiled rice (11.34kg each)
iv. 20 bags of premium parboiled rice (4.5kg each)
v. 18 kegs of soybean vegetable oil (15.87kg each) Duty Paid Value (DPV)= N6,512,400.00.

SEIZURES MADE FROM VEHICLES -PURCHASED ONLINE;
3. Twelve (12) rounds of 9mm Luger FC Blank ammunition and one (1) 9mm Luger live ammunition extracted from one used MAZDA CX5 with DPV of N37,405.80.

4. Ten (10) rounds of NIM FC 30-30 blank ammunitions, (2) rounds of 7.62mm x 39 AK hollow ammunition, (3) rounds of WCC NIM Luger 9mm live ammunition and (4) rounds of C hollow ammunition extracted from one used TOYOTA TACOMA with a DPV of N63, 698. 96.

5. Fifty (50) rounds of 76mm live cartridges and one hundred and nine (109) empty shells of 76mm, 70mm, and other calibres extracted from one used TOYOTA TACOMA with Duty Paid Value (DPV)= N6,987, 576.00.

6. Fifty-one (51) rounds of 12GA Winchester live cartridges extracted from one used LEXUS RX350 with DPV of N1,290,464

7. One (1) made in China SIGSAUER 1911 pistol with serial No: U03130962526 extracted from One used TOYOTA SIENNA with (DPV) of  N241,354

8. One (1) Glock 22 Austria pistol with serial No: KNTO03 and (13) rounds of 9mm hollow ammunition extracted from one used TOYOTA TACOMA with DPV of
N 5, 310,396.00.
Yet to be handed over to the relevant agency (DSS) pending the instruction from the CGC.

9. Five (5) rounds of 12GA live cartridges extracted from one used Toyota Tundra with DPV of N25, 304.
Total DPV =   N28, 478,034.76.

He explained that the showcasing of these live rounds of ammunition is to inform all users of PTML about the readiness of our officers to seize without compromise any items that  is in contravention of the extant regulation due to command’s zero tolerance for such.

The 1 x 40ft container No. ACLU9664782 that contained items under seizure one of the above lists was handed over to the Nigeria Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) as directed by the Comptroller General of Customs.

 Engr. Vonkur David Nankpark, NESREA’s Head of Lagos Ports Operations received the seized items on behalf of the agency’s Director General

On the arms and ammunition, the Controller said they are under critical investigation before the normal handing over to the appropriate authority.

A total of three (3) suspect were detained in the respect of these seizures and have been granted administrative bail.

On trade facilitation,the Controller said “Within the period under review, our trade facilitation and ease of doing business strategies have been sustained with our record breaking two hours clearance time for compliant RoRo cargoes.

“An efficient and accessible dispute resolution committee has been strengthened and working harmoniously to regularly brief the Customs Area Controller with a view to quickly resolving all trade disputes. This committee contributed immensely to the success recorded during the period of nine months.

“I want to appeal to our compliant traders to always make sincere declarations, avoid smuggling and take advantage of the various products  put in place by the CGC like Time Release Study (TRS), Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) programme and Advance Ruling (AR) to help facilitate trade

“Since my assumption of office, I have prioritised the command’s relationship with all our stakeholders by strengthening the existing cordial relationships sustained over the years. This is applicable to both government and private sector stakeholders. This is in line with the concept of constant stakeholder engagement for maximum cooperation engendering peace, harmony and trade facilitation.

“My interactions with importers, licensed customs agents, freight forwarders and terminal operators have contributed greatly to the harmonious operation you see in the command and we shall continually build on this to promote  the overall objectives of the federal government.

“The constant engagement with our host PTML and Grimaldi management on the need to diversify their operations has resulted in their expansion to the far east by opening their office in shanghai -china. Currently goods -mainly RoRo vehicles are being shipped from china to Nigeria , this will subsequently result in increase revenue collection for NCS as time goes by.

” Our capacity to handle more RoRo cargoes is supported by the command’s track record of efficiency which has been severally demonstrated through timely clearance of automobiles and other cargoes,” the CAC said

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Customs

Customs threatens to arrest, prosecute air travellers carrying currency above $10,000 threshold without declaration.

-as Nigeria tightens its anti- money laundering laws
Gloria Odion 
The Nigeria customs service, in collaboration with other sister agencies, had engaged international airline operators in a sensitization exercise over the need to strengthen Nigeria’s anti- money laundering laws.
The sensitization programme, held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was meant to raise awareness on the importance of enforcing Nigeria’s currency declaration laws among inbound and outbound travellers.
The engemement addressed the role of airline personnel in ensuring compliance, especially in reminding passengers about declaration requirements through in-flight announcements, form distribution, and cooperation during customs checks.
Officials emphasised that any passenger carrying over the regulatory threshold, currently $10,000 or its equivalent, is required to make a declaration to the authorities.
Failure to comply, they warned, could result in seizure, investigation, and prosecution under Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.
Additional requirements discussed included the mandatory submission of electronic manifests (e-Manifests) before aircraft arrival, as well as complete passenger details such as names, countries of origin and destination, and flight numbers, stating that these records allow customs and security officers to conduct targeted risk assessments and enhance border surveillance operations.
Assistant Comptroller of Customs in charge of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit, Salihu Mas’ud, led the engagement and expressed confidence in the outcomes.
According to him, the Service has already implemented several operational tools to support effective enforcement.
“What we have achieved so far is to be able to sensitise them. We’ve gone round to check all the points.
” We have dedicated search rooms for secondary searches. There are dedicated posts for currency declarations, and they are in place.
” Announcements are also being made on the Public Address System. We have also gotten the commitment of the airline operators to ensure that these announcements are also being made on board their flights,” he said.
He added, “We expect higher compliance, and it will strengthen our enforcement mechanism.
” It also ensures that defaulters and violators of currency declarations are detected promptly and forwarded for necessary investigation and prosecution.”
The sensitisation session highlighted the importance of inter-agency collaboration in securing Nigeria’s borders and preventing illicit financial flows.
With growing concerns over terrorism financing and smuggling of undeclared funds, the NCS said sustained partnerships with airline operators, airport authorities, and intelligence agencies will remain key to its success.
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Customs

Customs trails scammers preying on innocent Nigerians over recruitment exercise 

— discredits fake CBT shortlist circulating online 
Gloria Odion 
The Nigeria Customs Service has discovered a fake press release falsely announcing the shortlisted candidates for a Computer -Based Test(CBT) for the recruitment into the service.
According to the statement by the Customs High command, the release was fraudulent, misleading and the handiwork of scammers who are preying on the impatience and gullibility of the applicants.
The Customs High Command however promised to go after the perpetrators of this falsehood and bring the to book.
The service however warned all the applicants not to fall prey to the antics of the scammers but exercise patience and await official notice about the recruitment exercise from all the Customs verified channels.
“The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has been drawn to a fake press release currently circulating on social media and other messaging platforms, falsely announcing the shortlist for a Computer-Based Test (CBT).
“The purported release falsely asserts that the CBT is scheduled to take place in July, 2025  as part of the ongoing NCS recruitment exercise.
“The NCS wishes to categorically state that the said press release is fraudulent, misleading, and did not emanate from the Nigeria Customs Service.
“At no time did the Service issue any such announcement regarding a CBT slated to take place in July 2025.
“Upon close scrutiny, it is clear that the fake statement contains several discrepancies, particularly in its formatting.
” The e-signature format differs from our official standard and the recruitment timeline mentioned shows a faulty structure that is not connected to any legitimate process.
“The Nigeria Customs Service understands the interest of many Nigerians in its ongoing recruitment process and urges the public not to engage with, share, or act upon such unverified content.
” Authentic information about NCS activities, including its ongoing recruitment exercises, will be published only on our official website, verified social media platforms, and recognised national newspapers.
” The Service is taking steps to trace the origin of this false information and will take appropriate action to hold those responsible accountable.
“When the Service is set to begin the next phase of the recruitment process, the public will be duly notified through appropriate channels.
“The NCS deeply appreciates the vigilance of concerned Nigerians.
“We reaffirm our commitment to protecting the public from misinformation, ensuring all our processes uphold the highest standards of transparency and integrity” the statement concluded.
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Customs

Apapa Customs shuts three bonded terminals over unwholesome practices, collects N1. 378 trillion revenue in six months 

Funso OLOJO / Gloria Odion 

The Apapa port command of the Nigeria customs service has collected the sum of N1.378 trillion revenue in the first half of 2025.
The revenue  represents a 35 percent increase above the N1.023 trillion collected within the same period in 2024, marking a N354 billion increase in revenue collection.
Making this declaration on Thursday, July 3rd, 2025, the Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, said the half year of 2025 has been outstanding in revenue collection, trade facilitation, enhanced stakeholder engagement, deployment of technology, improvement in compliance, and uncompromising discipline.
“We surpassed our collection trajectory and revenue target, achieving laudable milestones, including the issuance of the first Single Goods Declaration (SGD) using the BODE platform on the 9th of May 2025.
“This marks a significant shift towards faster and more reliable cargo handling. We have deployed a robust platform that facilitates trade and ensures timely clearance of cargo, addressing challenges such as poor network connectivity, delays, and congestion associated with the former system” Olomu declared.
Meanwhile, Comptroller Olomu disclosed that three bonded terminals within the control of the command has been sealed for various infractions on the terms and conditions of their license.
He said one of them has even been charged to court.
Sources however whispered to our reporter that the affected terminals may have compromised on revenue returns to the command and been complicit in smuggling activities.
Olumu further declared that nine  containers comprising unregistered pharmaceuticals, used clothing, expired margarine, wild animals’ skin, and codeine syrup were seized by the command  during the period under review.
“These form part of the twenty-seven 27 containers seized between January and June 2025, with a duty paid value (DPV) of N9,267,443,966.00.
“The seizures include 10 containers of unregistered pharmaceuticals, two containers of codeine syrup, two containers of stolen vehicles, four containers of second-hand clothing and other sundry items.
“These seizures are part of our efforts to prevent Nigerians from consuming unwholesome foods and drugs, stop illicit trade, and protect our local industries. As a standard, we will not compromise the safety of Nigerians on the altar of trade facilitation.
“Prominent on the list of the 28 seizures made by the command during the period under review are unregistered pharmaceuticals, controlled drugs, used clothing, codeine syrup, wild animals’ skin, and other sundry items.
“It is pertinent to note that trafficking of wild animals contravene the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which Nigeria is a signatory to.
“Additionally, on the detention list is a container of matches imported without the required End User Certificate (EUC) as provided for in our extant laws.
Very recently, under the guidance of the CGC, we opened discussions with officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and other stakeholders from various associations on developing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the movement of goods by rail from Apapa Port to other states.
These talks have shown great prospects for success, with pledges of support and anticipation for robust participation by all concerned. This effort to revive cargo movement by rail aims to decongest the port, reduce pressure on Apapa roads, and provide a viable and cost-effective cargo movement option for importers, exporters, freight forwarding practitioners, haulage operators, and licensed customs agents.
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