By Stephen Ubanna
Unrepentant smugglers who had been evading officers and men of the Seme Command at the Seme-Karake joint Land Border between Nigeria and Republic of Benin with their smuggled Contraband over the years are appears to have been hard hit this time around .
Many believe that the smugglers could carry out their smuggling activities between Nigeria and Benin Republic with ease because of the 90 Communities around the Seme Jurisdictions which includes the Ajara axis most of the villages are linked to the water ways, Creeks and the Atlantic ocean which terminates at Benin and which the smugglers could easily access and use for their smuggling activities.
Timi Bomodi, a Customs Comptroller and Area Controller of the Seme Command who had taken up the issue of the too many check points mounted on the road with the Deputy Comptroller Enforcement overseeing the Command Enforcement Unit, to justify why the Command should have many check points which he believes inhibits trade facilitation had taken the bull by the horn to achieve results.
The Customs who had asked the Command Deputy Comptroller to justify the existence of the too many check points on the road but could not do it had reduced the number by about 50% to enhance trade facilitation at the joint border. He had expected other security agencies like the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, under the close watch of Kayode Egbetokun, Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, which are members of the Joint Border Security , based on agreement reached to do same but the reverse is the case.
Having at the back of his mind, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the Comptroller General, mandate, that was said to have been given to him on assumption of duties early last year,to clean up eme/Karake axis of the killer smugglers may have informed why the Customs who is Not ready to wait for all the othersecurity agencies at the Land border to comply with the Border Security members directive to reduce their own check points on the road moved into action draw a road map for the Command anti-smuggling operations.
Though limited by number and technology but with the Cooperation and support of the security agencies, particular the Army, Air Force, and the Navy, in ensuring peace , safety and security of the joint border Community and its environs, the Customs Controller had said whatever feat the Command had achieved in the last five months was because ‘’the officers and men of these other security agencies has moved shoulder to holder with them in the anti-smuggling war at the joint lander border area to clip the wings of the economic saboteurs.
In achieving results in the Command anti-smuggling war at the joint Land Border, he said Area Controller who had moved into action, was said ‘’to have addressed the issues concerning the molestation of females along the Lagos Abidjan corridor to forestall acts that will endanger the health and well-being of the vulnerable population of the border Community stake-boarders who go about their normal and legitimate businesses on a daily basis’’.
He wa said to have warned from the onset that ‘’stringent act action shall be taken against any officer of the `Command found guilty of molestation of any female on legitimate trade’’ on the Seme/Kareke corridor may have fve forced them to sit up to ensure that the right thing was done.
An elated Compt. Bomodi, who could not hide his feelings had told Journalists on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, during a press briefing to x-ray the activities of the Command between January and May 28, 2024, had sconfirmed that that ‘’the Command has sustained its anti-smuggling momentum’’ in all the nooks and crannies of the Command Areas of Jurisdictions.
He had said that the onslaught has ‘’translated into the seizure of various Contraband items ranging from Cannibis Sativa, popular, Indian Hemp smuggled into the Nigerian market from the West African country of Ghana, Asian countries of Thailand and India par boiled rice, Foreign processed Vegetable oil and Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popular, petrol .
Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who incidentally was a former governor of Lagos state had removed subsidy on petrol as a way to discourage the smuggling of the product from Nigeria into Benin Republic and other neighbouring West African countries but that was how far he could go.
The smugglers may have known that the game is up when the Seme Command Customs Area Controller began to enjoy the tremendous support of the youths, Bales and Traditional Rulers, of the host Communities.
The seizure 1000 parcels of Cannibis Sativa, which was said to have been concealed in vehicle Seats and tops including Furniture in five month speaks volume. An insider told the Value News that it will take an officer with eagle eye to decipher such Contraband in vehicles or Furniture because of the way it was securely parked in the vehicle. The seizure of the parcels of Indian hemp gives an insight that it has been entering into the Nigerian market over the years through such adopted methods.
The Magazine had sighted a set of Furniture at the Command Enforcement Unit premises on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at the Seme, a border Community that was intercepted and thoroughly searched. The cloth used in covering the Foam of the Furniture was found to have been thorn to show it is hidden in it.
The Seme Customs Helmsman has made clear to those that cares to listen that the Command will continue to come up too hard on the smugglers, because ‘’there had been a significant increase in the illegal importation of the Cannabis Sativa from Ghana into the Nigerian drug market using different methods to beat he officers to it to evade arrest’’ .
He may have gladdened e heart of Nigerians when he disclosed that in the cause of the Command’s anti-smuggling drive, it had intercepted some wild animals described as endangered specials by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN, such as Parrots, Honey Badgers, Pelican bird and tortoise.
The Command was said to have intercepted and seized 20 live Parrots, two honey badgers, two pelican bird and 04 Live tortoise and 3,023, General Merchandise. This is in addition to 149, packages of codeine and pneumatic tyres , 6,67 bags of Foreign par boiled rice of 0Kg, each or 10 trucks load of rice and 15 vehicles used as means of conveyance.
Many believe that this Contraband could easily come into the country through the Seme-Badagry axis, which have over 90 Communities which are linked the water ways, Creeks and the Atlantic Ocean used by the smugglers.
Notwithstanding the various methods that have been adopted by the die-hard smugglers to carry out their nefarious activities, within the Seme Jurisdictions, Compt. Bomodi, had explained that ‘’ the Seme Command under his Leadership is trying ‘’to overcome the smugglers ‘’by deploying officers to strategic locations’’
The Nigerian Government was said to have begun discussions with the Beninois Republic Counterpart to ensure that the countries develop Fiscal policies that will make it possible that goods prohibited in Nigeria would also be banned in the French –speaking country to curtail smuggling of Contraband with the deployment of Information Communication Technology, ICT.
Although, the policy has not been put into practice, Compt. Bomodi had said that ‘’ 18 suspects were arrested for contravening the country’s Fiscal policy but 11 of them were said to have been granted administrative bail , three other suspects handed over to the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, for further investigations and one to the Force. However, four of the suspects are still in Custom Custody at the border, amidst tight security.
One of the suspects currently in Customs custody, according to Compt. Bomodi, was a ‘’notorious killer smuggler who was said to have been caught with amulets and charms that that was said to have made him elusive to arrest as he could easily escape when pushed to a tight corner.
. The amulets and charms may have failed him that Compt. Bomodi could bet his chest that his reign of terror around the Seme/Karake Jurisdictions has come to an end as he will be made’’ to face to the full weight of the Law’’ as a deterrent to others in future’’.
Enough on the Command anti-smuggling Operations. We turn to the Customs Formations revenue collections. The Command which was said to have been given a target of N650 million to collect and pay into the Federation account , according to the Seme Command Area Controller , its monthly revenue hovers between N 400 million and N450 million, due to the low cargo traffic at the land border.
In was said to have collected a total sum of N2,634,190,645.53, only so far this 2024. This, the Customs boss had said ‘’surpasses that of 2023 figure within the same period with N708,86,252.81 million or 272%.
Given the government’s drive to promote export of Agricultural Commodities and manufactured products, the Command was said to have facilitated the export of 143,48 metric tonnes of export produce with Free On Board, FOB, value of about N35.2 bn while the NES value that was aid to have been paid was N174,18,464.82. It was gathered that a total of SIX Single Digit Drawers, SGDs, were utilized between January to May, 2024 , in the Land border Command for export alone.Vintage Bomodi.
