The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kebbi Area Command, has intensified its anti-smuggling operations, leading to the seizure of contraband goods worth ₦84.2 million.

The intercepted items include Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), second-hand clothing, foreign rice, and other prohibited products, reinforcing border security efforts.

Speaking at a press briefing, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Chidi Nwokorie, reiterated the Command’s commitment to enforcing trade regulations and curbing illicit activities.

He disclosed that within six weeks of his assumption of duty, the Command recorded a revenue of ₦13,378,002 despite economic constraints and border closures. The breakdown of the seized items includes:

• 13,750 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)
• 145 bales of second-hand clothing
• 114 bags of foreign parboiled rice (50kg each)
• 70 cartons of expired Biggy Vanilla Wafer Biscuit
• 40 bags of foreign sugar (50kg each)

Nwokorie stressed the importance of synergy with security agencies, including the NDLEA, NAFDAC, Police, DSS, NIS, NSA, and the Nigerian Army, in safeguarding the nation’s borders. He assured that the Command would sustain its crackdown on smuggling while fostering a conducive environment for legitimate trade.

To enhance intelligence gathering, he said the Command had engaged border communities, traders, and other stakeholders, urging them to leverage the trade facilitation initiatives introduced by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi.

Reaffirming his dedication to national security, Nwokorie declared, “This is my mission and my bond. I will not fail the Service. I will not fail the nation.”