The Sokoto/Zamafara Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service generated the sum of N2.3 billion in 2021.
According to the statement signed by the spokesman of the command, ASCI Tahir Balarabe Yusuf, this was the highest revenue ever collected by the command since its creation.
The statement said that a total of 22 seizures of different kinds with duty paid values of N188, 583,368.00 were recorded by the command in the period under review.
It added that three suspects were arrested and granted administrative bail.
The statement quoted the Area Comptroller, Abdulhameed Ma’aji, as attributing the feat to the leadership provided by the Comptroller General of Customs, Hameed Ibrahim Ali, the resilience as well as commitment of the officers and men of the command.
According to Ma’aji, the Comptroller General had provided them with all the logistics needed to stem smuggling in their area of coverage.
Ma’aji recalled that the command had recorded the first formal documented export value chain of onion through the Illela border on the 25th of February, 2021 which has significantly enhanced onion production in Sokoto and contributed to the foreign reserve of the country.
He appreciated the efforts and cooperation of other units of the Service such as Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), Customs Police Unit (CPU), Border Drill, Strike force and Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘B’ (FOU ‘B’) as well as other security agencies and stakeholders in the actualization of these records.
He urged the general public to join the Service in its advocacy against smuggling, just as he warned economic saboteurs to desist from their illegal business as officers were always vigilant to uncover any form of unlawful trade.
