By Stpehen Ubanna
This is not the best of times for smugglers operating in the south eastern states of Abia, Anambra, Eboyi, Enugu, Imo and the south -south states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross river, Delta, Edo and Rivers state. This is because of the bold initiatives that had been taken by Compt. Michael Ugbagu in dealing with the economic saboteurs, who now smuggle with tears.
Compt. Ugbagu, appears to have proved bookmakers wrong as he had taken the anti-smuggling to the smugglers hideouts in different locations in the south eastern states of Abia, Anambra, Eboyi, Enugu, Imo and the south- south states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross river, Delta, Edo and Rivers.
Many believe that he may have been exposed to border security and how to combat smuggling activities that he has been able to deal decisively with the smugglers in the 11 states that make up the south eastern and south -south states.
The Customs Comptroller, was said to effectively blocked the notorious routes, both on land the Creeks, used by the smugglers’ around the Ikom and its environs in Cross river state and the Oron and Bakasi axis, in Akwa Ibom including several other illegal Land border routes and Creeks in Edo state, particular, because of the high level of smuggling activities going on these states.
Note that the south -south state of Akwa Ibom, shares boundary with the Central African country of Cameroun, through land Sea, around the Bakasi axis while smugglers operating between Nigeria and the West African country of Republic, are believed to have found their way into the south eastern and south -south markets with their smuggled foreign rice, Bales of secondhand clothing , Cannabis Sativa, popular, Indian Hemp, manufactured from the Ghana and other West African countries, pneumatic tyres and fairly used vehicles through the south -south state Edo.
Not many people had given the Customs Comptroller any opportunity to succeed in the Command anti-smuggling operations because of the the vast and terrain of the area covered by the Command.
Compt. Ugbagu, may have known that many of the smugglers operating in the south western and the north western states including the north central geopolitical region target markets in the south eastern states, particular. This may have informed why he had read the riot act to the patrol team officers who were said to have tightened up security around, Enugu, Eboyi, Delta and the Edo axis of the south east and south states.
The Command various patrol teams in several parts of Delta, Edo, Akwa -Ibom, Cross river and Abia, including Enugu and Eboyi states , have continued to make Contraband seizures. The Customs Comptroller appears to have proved that the Customs Comptroller is in total control of the Command areas of jurisdictions going by the spectacular Contraband seizures that had been made between January and much of February, 26, 2025.
Ntche Rose, a Chief Superintendent of Customs and the Command spokesperson, had said that the Command, had made over 3,264 Contraband seizures, which an insider had said are mostly intercepted around the Edo and Cross river state axis. Most of the south east and south -south smugglers, according to an informed source are operating around Ikom, in Cross rive state, including the Idiroko, Saki and Iseyin and its environs, in the south western states of Ogun and Oyo.
The FOU, Zone C, Patrol team officers could make such remarkable giant strides in their anti-smuggling measures, an insider had said because the Customs Comptroller had ensured that the teams get the full complement of operational vehicles and other equipment that smugglers could hardly dare them but to abandon their goods and run into the bush for their safety.
Valuation experts had put the value of the seized 3, 264, Contraband goods at about N 734 million. Giving an insider information, the Customs Comptroller, had said that the Command, had acted within the mandate that had been given to it by the Customs Comptroller General, CGC, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.
He was emphatic that the result of the anti-smuggling operations was a fallout of the stringent measures that had been put in place within the zone which is one of the core mandates of the service. Other core responsibilities of the service, being addressed by the Command is trade facilitation, and collection of revenue for the government.
Breakdown of the seized Contraband goods by the Interventionist Command, shows that there were 490 CTNs Pigeon Geisha, 272 Bales of used clothing, 13 Bales of used shoes, 11 Bales of used Bags, 750 wraps of Cannabis Sativa, 1,230 sachets of Tramadol Capsules, and 209, pieces of used tyres.
Enough on the Command anti-smuggling operations. We turn to its revenue generation drive. The Command may have depended on goods released at the Lagos ports of Apapa, Tincan Island, Port Multiservice Terminal Limited, PTML, KiriKiri Lighter Terminal, KLT, phases I and II and the south eastern port of Onne including the Land border stations, in the south western region, which are not properly valued due to under-declaration to collect its revenue that is paid into the Federation Account.
Compt. Ugbagu, had confirmed that the Command had raised a Demand Notice, DN, of N8,859,151.00. He had said that the Command, which is basically an Enforcement Unit could make such revenue for the government within the period under review because it had successfully blocked various areas of revenue leakage, used by the importers to shortchange the government.
He may have sent a message to the Fraudulent importers with their agents at the Lagos seaports and the south eastern ports of Onne, Rivers port, Delta port and Calabar port in Cross river state it is no longer business as his Patrol Team Officers have been stationed at strategic Locations within the entry points in the Command area of jurisdiction which are the Land borders, airports, and the seaports.
The FOU, Zone C, Area Controller, had attributed the success achieved by the Command in its anti-smuggling operations which had reduced to the barest minimum on Professionalism, focus and decision to curb smuggling activities in the entire zone.
He was said to have further stated that the Command could make such appreciable impact in its area of jurisdictions because the Unit has never ‘’relented in its intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration and surveillance’’.
Pting the garb of a Management Staff, he has applauded the ongoing initiative and Leadership style of the CGC, in consolidating, collaborating and the recent innovations that had been introduced in the service over the last one-year, which stakeholders believed had made a lot of positive impact to the nation’s maritime sector, the service and Nigerians at large. He had stated it loud and clear, during a recent interaction with Journalists in Owerri, the Imo state Capital that ‘’ the CGC and the service entire Management team deserves accolades for giving the Unit a level playing ground by providing the necessary logistics and incentives that had motivated the performance of the Unit’’. Vintage Adeniyi.
