Photos: Nigeria Customs seized and buries 772 cartons of frozen fish allegedly worth over ₦10 million

The Nigerian Customs Services, Ogun State Command, had on Tuesday April, 4, 2017, seized 722 cartons of imported frozen fish (pelagic fishes usually known as open sea fishes) which consists of soley fish, senrei fish, fifty-six bags of smuggled rice of 50kg each fully loaded in a refrigerated Iveco truck, Registered with plate number SMK 96 XR.

The items in summary already have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦10, 573, 000.00 (Ten Million Five Hundred and Seventy Three Thousand Naira) based on the statement released on Thursday, April 6, 2017.

The statement stated that the frozen fishes had recently come under regulated product in Nigeria with glaring rules which anybody who wishes to import fish must follow before embarking on importation of such.

The Ogun area Comptroller, Gangua said: "For the avoidance of doubt, apart from fulfilling all import guidelines, there must be a fishing license/permit from Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development by importing company and such importation must be subjected to National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFADAC) inspection/certification among others.

"Pursuant to the Federal Government Policy on fish importation, the Nigeria Customs Service is working assiduously at ensuring that our dear country is not turn into a dumping ground of not only fish but other restricted items.

"It is my pleasure to once again welcome you to Ogun state Customs Area Command, today is exactly one week after we met in this environment in an effort to succulently keep you informed on series of successes we are recording in the effective discharge of our core functions (i.e revenue collection, anti-smuggling and trade facilitation).

"In contravention of the aforementioned rules and guidelines as contained in the government policies and extant circulars, the goods have been seized and the frozen fish will be destroyed accordingly."

“I will like to seize this opportunity to reiterate my appeal to the traditional rulers and eminent personalities in the state to deploy all necessary mechanism in discouraging the activities of their wards that indulge in smuggling. We believe that, patriotism entails sacrifice and devoted service to our beloved nation."

In connection with the seized items, a suspect by identified as Seseh Idowu, a native of Benin Republic has been apprehended and is assisting the Command with some necessary information.

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Photos: Nigeria Customs seized 40ft container of fish worth N22milloin for false declaration

The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Command, has confiscated a 40-ft container loaded with Tilapia Fish from Turkey.

Speaking with the newsmen in Lagos, Jibrin Musa, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, revealed that the importer professed that the content of the container was apples but scanning showed it to be 2700 cartons of banned frozen fish.

He told reporters that, aside the crime of false declaration, the import also breached the law as it failed the condition for license and quota expected for importers of acceptable fish species into Nigeria.

He said '' As part of our collective resolve to ensure strict compliance with government import prohibition rule, we recently uncovered an attempt to smuggle tilapia fish into the country. In a bid to evade detection and arrest, the importer made a false declaration that that the 1x40ft container was laden with apples''

''Upon scanning, we discovered this to be untrue as the container contained 2700 cartons of tilapia frozen fish from Turkey,the aforementioned fish species is under restriction.More so,importers of allowable species of fish are expected to obtain license and permit and necessary quota before such 

importation into the country.

'' Consequent upon this false declaration, Nigeria Customs Service Apapa hereby declare this container with number DFOU6122880 seized while investigation is ongoing to bring all the accomplices to book. The duty paid value (DPV) is about N22,193,384.00 ''

While parading a suspect before journalists, Jibrin said, investigations are ongoing on the issue and adding that his commission has commenced communication with related agencies like National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) on the consignment.

Jibrin ruled out the option of destroying the seized fish and noted that the command will wait for directive from the headquarters for the next step of action.

He also warned culprits of unlawful import and export practices in Apapa to cease from it as the long arms of the law will always get them.

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"Customs now acts like gangster" - Senate. Summons Customs boss, says he 'must appear in uniform'

“Custom officers now act like gangsters under the leadership of Hameed Ali”, says Senator Olamilekan.

Customs’ boss must appear in uniform.

Hameed Ali (Comptroller NCS)

The Senate has conveyed their discontentment over the services of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) under the management of Hammed Ali, its comptroller general.

On Tuesday, March 7, the Senate ordered the Customs Service to halt its proposal to seize all vehicles with unpaid import duty. However, the agency ignored the order and says it would go on with its plan even with the resolution of the Legislature.

In this respect, on Thursday, March 9, Senator Dino Melaye noted that the Customs has continually disregarded the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Melaye said: “The senate will take a resolution and an agency of government will have the temerity, will have the guts and strength to blatantly disregard the Nigerian senate. It is a very dark day for democracy.

“I'm a member of the customs committee, I want to educate some of us today, the position of CGC is rank. I asked him in the committee why he is not wearing uniform rank and he said ‘uniformed men don't wear uniform twice’.

“I reminded him that he retired as a colonel and General Ananiah retired as a general and was appointed as the corps marshal of the FRSC, we were proudly the uniform of the Road Safety.

“If we are taking a decision of the people and agency disrespects the Nigerian senate, however we will need to check this properly. If they are taking duty on Nigerian road but if the president is passing no customs officer will stop him and ask for papers, they will salute and the president’s convoy will pass.

"Same with me as a Senator. But it is the people who will suffer if the excesses of the Customs are not checked.”

In the same way, Senator Adeola Olamilekan said that the Customs boss has been acting as if he is the Commander-in-Chief of the country, further saying that Customs officers now operate like ‘gangsters’.

Olamilekan said: “I think it is high time we check the level of high-handedness of the comptroller of customs because he is acting is acting like he is the commander in chief of the country.”

“The issue of uniform is an insult to the Nigerian customs if you are the head of customs and you cannot wear uniform. You take salute, parade, wearing mufti.  I feel this is an insult to the customs agency.

“Customs officers now act like a gangster. He is performing below par; it will not be out of place of we recommend for his removal. But let's wait for him to appear in plenary first in uniform.”

Senator Lanre Tejuoso also reported that two members of his constituent were murdered by Customs officers.

On these notes, the Senate resolved that the comptroller General of Customs must appear before the Senate in his proper uniform nextweek Wednesday, March 15, 2017.

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