The Nigeria Customs Service has said that one of its long-abandoned patrol boats; Henry Duke has been auctioned. The service however failed to reveal the identity of the beneficiary of the auction.
Currently, the patrol boat which has remained unserviceable is under the supervision of the Western Marine Command of the service at Ibafon, Apapa in Lagos.
The Nigeria Customs Service has said that one of its long-abandoned patrol boats; Henry Duke has been auctioned. The service however failed to reveal the identity of the beneficiary of the auction.
Currently, the patrol boat which has remained unserviceable is under the supervision of the Western Marine Command of the service at Ibafon, Apapa in Lagos.
Customs Area Controller, Western Marine Command , Comptroller Umar Yusuf dropped the hint recently, during a recent chat with newsmen in Lagos, even as he added that many of the patrol boats that have been abandoned by the command were be refitted for usage.
“Henry Duke has been auctioned, it is no more Nigeria Customs Service property, we are waiting for the man that bought the vessel to come and carry the carcass ‘’, he stated.
The patrol boat; MV Henry Duke was named after a former director of customs and father of the former governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke and it used to be the biggest craft of the service before the arrival of newly-acquired vessels, namely: ‘’Group of Nine’’ and ‘’Customs Pride’’.
According to the controller, 11 out of the 20 abandoned patrol boats have been repaired within six months and the remaining will soon wear a new look to further complement the two new crafts in the struggle against anti-smuggling.
He said, “the dilapidated patrol boats I met on ground are just like brand new now, before it wasn’t like this, the state of the crafts before now happened to be terrible”.
He said the refurbished boats and the two newly-acquired vessels on ground will further propel officers of the command to address issues surrounding smuggling on the creeks.
Comptroller Umar reiterated that ‘’very soon the refurbished crafts will be deployed for usage on waters and they will really propel my officers to navigate the sea and creeks, then make more seizes.”
“When I came in as controller Western Marine Command, I met about 20 boats and as a man who wants to excel anywhere I find myself, I have been able to fix a large number of the crafts”, he stated.
‘ I embarked on refurbishing the boats I met on ground and so far we have refurbished 11 of the patrol boats, precisely, ten water boats and a speed boat and we have two on ground that are ready for use ”, he added.
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