February 14, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Customs Service in Kebbi State said its operatives intercepted second-hand clothing materials worth N46 million, along with other contraband in November last year.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Joseph Attah, disclosed this while showing various seized items by the command in Kebbi on Tuesday.
Giving a breakdown of the Command’s activities, Attah said that the Command also generated the sum of N127,839,390.75 as revenue from mostly import of goods into the country through Kamba border in the state.
He said as the patrol was intensified across Kebbi State, the Command seized smuggled assorted items consisting of 303 bales and 94 sacks of second-hand clothing.
Other items include one unit of used BMW vehicle, 2,375 litres of PMS loaded in jerricans and 58 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50 kg each; among others with a duty paid value of N46,706,795.00.
He, however, decried the increase in the smuggling of second-hand clothing, but assured that his officers are ever ready to scuttle the smugglers’ activities in due course.
Attah also noted that his Command is well equipped with all the necessary logistics to curtail the activities of smugglers in the state.
“From the record at our disposal, there is an increase in the smuggling of second-hand clothes in the last two months. You may recall that 139 bales were also seized in October.
“The smugglers’ cash in on the people’s demand for thick clothes such as cardigans in this harmattan season to smuggle these used clothes, not minding the health implications to the end use.
“We don’t know where the items came from or the last users of the clothes, their health status and so on.
“For the avoidance of doubt, second-hand clothing falls under Schedule 4 of the Common External Tariff (CET) 2022-2026, importation of which is absolutely prohibited on health grounds. Its smuggling contravenes Section 46 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) CAP C. 45 LFN, 2004 (as amended).
“It is our responsibility to ensure that no item that could negatively affect our people is allowed entry. We are determined to do just that”, he further explained.
The Command, however, applauded the management’s support through the provision of logistics and it is determined to deal decisively with smugglers and called on the public for maximum support by providing useful information for better service delivery.
Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
