Oyo/Osun Customs intercept 481 bags of smuggled rice

Barely three weeks after 30,000 live cartridges were intercepted by the Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, another war against smugglers was won on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, when one of its patrol teams led by one B.F Asagba, a Superintendent of Customs, intercepted nine buses loaded with 481 (50kg) bags of rice with a duty paid value of N6,082,245million along the same Iseyin-Saki axis of the state.Revealing this to journalists through the Public Relations Officer, Nkeiruka Nwala, the Customs Area Controller, Mr Richard Oteri said that within the past one year, his command had made a total seizure of 15,485 (50kg), three (25kg) and 20 (10kg) bags of rice with a duty paid value of N172,898million.Oteri remarked that 'this will go a long way in debunking claims that the Nigeria Customs Service is not doing enough to curb the menace of rice smuggling through the borders', adding: 'I want to use this medium to advise unpatriotic Nigerians who patronise our neighbouring ports with the intention of smuggling to desist from the practice as we will not fail to make them face the full wrath of the law.'The Customs Area Controller said that importation of rice through the nation's borders remains prohibited, advising that those who wish to import rice should do so using the nation's sea ports.'The Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko is passionately committed to implementing the rice import policy to the letter and we reiterate our unequivocal support in doing so within our area command,' he further said.The Controller said the seizure was a remarkable feat which gave credence to the area command's determined resolve to make Oyo and Osun States a no-hiding place for unpatriotic Nigerians who engage in illicit business of smuggling.'It is worthy of note to mention that within the last three months, the Command has intercepted a total of 3715 (50kg), three (25kg) and 20 (10kg) bags of rice with a duty paid value of over N43million', he added.
Click here to read full news..