Apapa Customs Earns Rp1.02 Trillion in Six Months, Financial Comptroller Says

The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, announced on Monday that it generated N1.02 trillion in revenue between January and June 2024. Babatunde Olomu, the Customs Area Controller overseeing the command, disclosed this during a press briefing in Apapa, Lagos.

Olomu highlighted that this figure marked a significant increase of 143 per cent compared to the N421 billion collected during the same period in 2023, despite a marked decline in trading volume.

“It is important to note that stringent measures have been implemented to protect government revenue,” Olomu stressed.

Upon taking office, Olomu set up a revenue recovery committee tasked with investigating potential revenue leakages, particularly at bonded terminals under his command.

“During this period, we seized 11 containers of prohibited items,” Olomu reported. The items included expired drugs, unregistered drugs, footwear, used clothing, armoured cables and frozen poultry products, worth N424 million. This is in contrast to 42 seizures worth N1.4 billion during the same period in 2023.

Olomu specifically highlighted the discovery of six 40-foot containers labeled with numbers “TCKU 6928184, MRKU 4422733, MRSU 5550243, MNBU 3934925, MEDU 9107559, and MEDU 9752980,” which were found to contain 7,580 cartons of frozen poultry products unfit for human consumption.

“These imports are in violation of Schedule Three of the revised import prohibition list of the Common External Tariff, in violation of Section 233 of the Nigerian Customs Service Act 2023,” Olomu stressed.

He underlined the serious consequences of fake and unregistered medicines on society.

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health, affirming the Customs Service’s commitment to preventing such dangerous imports.

“In view of this, I wish to warn smugglers, duty evaders and other criminals against violating the Nigerian Customs Act 2023 and other relevant laws,” Olomu warned. “The Apapa Command is determined to thwart illegal importation.”

Olomu reiterated that no cargo would leave the ports without being subjected to rigorous screening through scanners. He vowed to remain vigilant, stressing that the command would continue to carry out seizures, detentions and arrests when necessary to safeguard the national economy and protect Nigerians from unsafe products.

“We implement a non-intrusive inspection system using scanners for cargo inspection, complemented by physical inspection as needed,” Olomu stressed.

He also highlighted reforms aimed at improving transit management from parent ports to bonded terminals to prevent smuggling activities.

Apapa Customs Earns N1.02tn in Six Months, Says Financial Controller first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.