Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Port Command, has generated the sum of ₦1,046,496,593,103.60 trillion as revenue, as at 7 November, 2024.
The Command also handed over 16 seizures of illicit substances, unregistered pharmaceutical products and other items, valued at ₦37 billion, to the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Customs Area Controller, Tin Can Island Port Command, Comptroller Dera Nnadi, made the disclosures at a press briefing on the stewardship of the Command over the last few months.
“In the last two months since our last engagement with the media, the Command has sustained its effort in ensuring we meet our obligations to the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) and his management team towards meeting the Service objectives.
“These objectives, which form our key performance indicators, are outlined in the CGC’s policy thrust of Consolidation, Collaboration and Innovation.
“In line with the policy thrust, TCIP Command tagged the Year 2024 as “The Year of the Stakeholders” which further align with the theme for the International Customs Day, Customs Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose.
“We choose a new slogan every week as our motivating mantra in aid of our work. Our slogan for the week is Reform or Regret. We choose this slogan because we believe that our stakeholders must align with the vision of a new Nigeria.
“We are glad to announce that several of our stakeholders share our vision of voluntary compliance and are supporting our reforms in the Command.
“With the cooperation of these category of stakeholders and a few others who have been encouraged to comply through our enlightenment programs, we are glad to announce that the Command, as at today, 7 November 2024, has generated the sum of ₦1,046,496,593,103.60 trillion,” he said.
The Tin Can Port controller also said the Command wanted to celebrate the milestone of collecting over One Trillion Naira as Customs Duty, being the first time this has been achieved in its history.
“I dedicate this achievement to the Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR and his management team.
“The Command acknowledges the specific roles of the DCG, Tariff and Trade and the DCG, ICT/Modernisation for their contributions too.
“Aware that a secured border will translate to more revenue at the seaports, we also appreciate the support of the DCG Enforcement, Investigation & Inspection in enforcing compliance among our stakeholders leading to the increased revenue in the Command.
“While we celebrate our esteemed stakeholders who embraced our reforms and complied with Customs extant laws and guidelines, those who did not are regretting their loss and the pain of non-compliance,” he added.
Comptroller Nnadi also unveiled 16 seizures of illicit substances, unregistered pharmaceutical products and other items discharged from 17 May to 23 October, 2024.
He listed the seized illicit substances and pharmaceutical products to include: Codeine-based products: Numerous shipments of cough syrups with codeine; Barcadin with Codeine, Broncleer with Codeine, and DSP with Codeine for throat and chesty cough (100ml, 200 bottles per carton);
Tapentadol & Carisoprodol: 420 cartons of Royal 225 (Tapentadol HVCL 125mg and Carisoprodol BP 100mg); Benzhexol Tablets: 200 cartons of 5mg Benzhexol Tablets (Brand: Trodal);
Cannabis Indica: 77 packets (38.5kg), 532 packets (265.025kg), and 75 packets (37.5kg). Diclofenac Sodium Tablets: Really Extra brand (50mg, 100 packs per carton).
Other goods seized by the Tin Can Island Port Command were ceiling fans, Deluxe Chilli Cutters, stainless steel blenders, BiomalArtesunate Injection.
Seized vessels of importation included SpilKartika (Hapag Lloyd, voyage No. 2417W); Volana (Hapag Lloyd, voyage Nos. 2416W, 2421W);
Maliako (Hapag Lloyd, voyage No. 2421W); WadiBani Khalid (Hapag Lloyd, voyage Nos. 2423W); MSC Sweden VI and MSC Katyayni NY427A.
Comptroller Nnadi listed the countries of origin of the seized drugs to include: India (Barcadin, Diclofenac Tablets, Benzhexol, CSP with Codeine); United Kingdom (BiomalArtesunate Injection) and Canada (Cannabis Indica).
He said the containers were inspected by multiple enforcement agencies, including Customs, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and NAFDAC.
“Recall that on October 2, 2024, the Tincan Island Port Command officially handed over 684 packets of Cannabis Indica, weighing a total of 341.025 kg, with an estimated street value of ₦682,050,000.00.
“These narcotics were discovered in three 40ft containers Nos: MSMU 518030/2, MSMU 602957/0, and FSCU 927461/3), as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen interagency collaboration and coordination.
“Consequently, we are handing over an additional 13 Containers of Unregistered pharmaceutical products to NAFDAC.
“Total Duty Paid Value (DPV) for the 16 containers is approximately ₦37, 000,000,000.00, with details as follows:
“Tramadol: 920 cartons in 2x40FT containers worth ₦23 billion; Codeine: 1,894,600 bottles in 11x40FT containers worth ₦13 billion; Cannabis Indica: 341kg in 3X40 containers worth ₦682 million,” he said.
The Tin Can Island Port Controller said the Command in particular and the Service in general will deploy all necessary resources and strategies at its disposal to check the menace of illegal importation of unregistered pharmaceutical products into the country.
This, he said, would be done in collaboration with local and foreign partner security and regulatory agencies “We are more than committed to deliver on this mandate,” he added.
Nnadi further said: “Aware that yuletide is around the corner, I wish to reassure all our stakeholders that the Command will partner with those who are compliant to ensure there are no delays in their cargo delivery.
“Similarly, we are also using this opportunity to inform those who will dare our resolve that we are ready to enforce the requirements of our law.”
He appreciated the media for partnering with the NCS to ensure and sustain the protection of the Nigerian society.
