MMA Customs collects N144.2 billion revenue, seizes items worth N3.3 billion
Comptroller Awe while handing over the seized illicit drugs to the NDLEA officials at the Government Warehouse
The Nigeria Customs Service Murtala Mohammed Area Command, Ikeja, has collected revenue of N144,202,566,975.00K from duties and other charges between January and October 2024 into the coffers of the government.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller MT Awe, made this known while addressing the press on the activities of the command, including handing over seized illicit drugs to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at the command’s headquarters located at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport at Ikeja on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
Comptroller Awe, who described the revenue profile as impressive, said the revenue was N69,915,859,531.00K higher than N74,286,707,443.00K collected in the same period in 2023, depicting 94% increase.
On anti-smuggling, Awe informed that the efforts to combat illicit trade yielded impressive results as items with total Duty Paid Value of N3,322,239,355.00K were seized between July and October 2024.
Related Posts
Pointing out that the items were concealed but revealed by intelligence, the Controller said “the seized items contravened some of the provisions of the extant laws as enshrined in the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCS Act) 2023.”
The seized items were – 23 pieces of walkie talkies, 175 pieces of military helmets, 50 pieces of drones, 10 packs of Canadian Cannabis Sativa, 250 pieces of live turtles, 7 packages of 200mg and 225mg of tramadol hydrochloride, 1.5kg of pangolin scales and 0.2kg of porcupine pins.
Comptroller Awe, who informed that one person was arrested in connection with the illicit drugs, attributed the success to enhanced trade facilitation and effective law enforcement.
“This achievement is attributed to enhanced trade facilitation, improved stakeholder compliance, effective law enforcement, strategic resource deployment, interagency collaboration, efficient cargo clearance and intelligence risk management,” said the Controller who commended the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for the unwavering support to the command in performing official tasks effectively.
