vBy Stephen Ubanna
Those who think that only Federal Operations Units, FOUs, and other interventionist Commands, including the Headquarters Strike Force, across the country, and the Headquarters Rapid Response Squad, headed by Jack Okpabi, an Assistant Comptroller, that can make Foreign rice and other contraband seizures , would be disappointed.
This is because, Comptroller Malanta Yusuf, Area Controller, Apapa Command, appears to be competing with the interventionist Units in making contraband seizures. An insider informed The Value that between February 2021, and now, the Command under his close watch had had made over over 20 Container loads of the Asian countries of Thailand, par boiled and India, Agricultural rice including its Basmatic brand.
The Command was said to have also intercepted several thousands of Vegetable oil of 25 litres each. Much of the Contraband seizures were said to have been made at the time that Babatunde Olomo, now a confirmed Comptroller was the Officer –In-Charge of the Enforcement Unit. AT Present, Compt. Olomo, is serving at the Customs Headquarters, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Comp Malanta and his enforcement Officers may have concentrated their efforts in looking out for Foreign rice and other Contraband imports through the ports because of the believe that importers who were used to patronizing the West African country of Benin Republic ,Autonomous Port of Benin, Cotonou, to take delivery of their cargoes are losing millions of naira, virtually on a weekly basis to the interventionist Units may want to resort to shipping such cargoes through the port.
Given the government policy of designating the premier port for importation of Pharmaceutical products may have informed why the Customs Comptroller had considered it necessary to work closely with Heads of other sister agencies like the National Drug Law enforcement Agency, NDLEA, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NAFDAC, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, and those of other security and Inteligence agencies at the port, to ensure that the right thing is done.
This is evident with the seizure of cartons of various rands of Tramadol and, cocain at the port. Many believe that Nigerians knew that drugs are being shipped through the port because the Command Enforcement officers with the support of the other agencies personnel, particular, the NDLEA, regular seizures of the prohibited Pharmaceutical drug at the port.
A source disclosed that if Comptroller Malanta and his officers, had decided to turn the other way and allow such dangerous drugs to enter the Nigerian market as obtained in the past, who would have known that Tramadol or cocain passes through the port. Certainly nobody.
Take for instance, in June 2022, the Command had intercepted a ‘’20’’ Container loaded with tramadol and other offensive pharmacological drugs at APMT terminal. This is in addition to 150 cartons of various brands of tramadol other restricted medicaments. This is I addition to 150 cartons of tramadol of various miligrammes at the Jaelith Bonded terminal and ESS Libra terminal, Ikrodu. The worth of the drugs were put at about about N10 billion.
It was said to have also intercepted last July a ‘’20’’ Container, , carrying 272 cartons of steel less cooking ports , but with cartons of various brands of tramadol , codeine and other psychotropic drugs , worth about N1.4 billion concealed in it. Indeed, the seizure of the cartons of Tramadol drugs, within the two months may not have stopped the drug barons from shipping more cartons of tramadol and other dangerous pharmaceutical products into the port to be cleared by their Lagos based agents.
Admitted that there is tight security at the Apapa port for the drug barons to have their way, the question on the lips of most people was: how 13,451,466 pills of tramadol of 225 mh, worth about NN8,860,000,000, allegedly imported by one Chukwukadibia Ugochukwu, the Chairman of Automation Motors Ltd, who is already in NDLEA custody , leave the port to Victoria Garden City , mansions, at the Lekki area of Lagos state, to offload?.
Ugochukwu’s arrest is coming barely five months after Afam Ukatu, a billionaire drug baron, who was said to have imported containers load of tramadol worth N22 billion in one month was arrested after months of close monitoring by the NDLEA Operatives.
. Until his arrest by the NDLEA, officials, the agency investigations had shown that he has been a major importer of large consignments of different brands and high dosages of Tramadol Hydrochloride, ranging from 120mg, 200mg, 225mg and 250mg, all of which are prohibited drugs.
In spite of the fact that Compt. Malanta, the Apapa Customs Area Controller and his Enforcement officers are making appreciable seizures of foreign rice and other Contraband, including drugs, he was said to have also blocked all areas of revenue leakage, as a technical officer at the port.
Informed sources told The Magazine, that given the Command revenue drive, its monthly revenuehovers between N90 billion and N95 billion. A source confirmed that as at June 30th, 2022, the Command had generated about N600 billion for the government. This may have given the Customs Comptroller and his officers the boldness that he can beat his chest that the Command would beat its revenue target of N1trn this 2022 and even surpass it. Recall that the government has set a revenue target of N3.1 trn for the Hameed Ali, a retired Army Colonel, led Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, this year.
Notwithstanding, the Apapa Command, impressive anti-smuggling operations and undisclosed revenue collections, in the last nine months, Compt. Malantanta , may have taken the bold initiative to give a facelift the Command office Complex. The building which look a Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, warehouse, has been modernized.
A visitor to the Command in the recent time would be surprised that all the offices are wearing a look including the Comptroller’s office and the visitor’s waiting room. This is a big challenge to other Area Controllers whose office buildings are wearing out are waiting for Ali, the Customs Comptroller General to award the contract for the repainting and redesigning of their offices.
What is happening at Apapa Customs Command may not be different from what Kehinde Hussain Ejibuno, acting Comptroller, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, is doing athis Command in one year of mounting the saddle .
