The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit Zone‘C’ in Owerri , Imo state has come hard on those it called blackmailers and smugglers for carrying out a campaign of calumny against the Zone.
It declared yesterday at a press briefing in Owerri that it will not be deterred by falsehood and attempt to blackmail in its renewed onslaught against smuggling of contraband and fake goods, vehicles with fake documents, and other illegalities into the country especially into the zone.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit Zone‘C’ in Owerri , Imo state has come hard on those it called blackmailers and smugglers for carrying out a campaign of calumny against the Zone.
It declared yesterday at a press briefing in Owerri that it will not be deterred by falsehood and attempt to blackmail in its renewed onslaught against smuggling of contraband and fake goods, vehicles with fake documents, and other illegalities into the country especially into the zone.
Addressing newsmen on a recent publication, the Zone’s Public Relations Officer; Onuigbo Ifeoma raised alarm that, smugglers of fake drugs may have commenced a campaign of falsehood against the Zone.
She said the current attack on the Zone was sequel to Customs unrelenting onslaught against smuggling, duty evasion and other illegalities. According to her, the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’ in Owerri has been under attack by faceless groups whose interests were being thwarted by the ever-committed personnel of the FOU Zone ‘C’.
Apparently shocked at the media attack, the spokesperson said: “They have now resorted to using human rights group and faceless groups to attack the zone and alleging all sorts of things including compromise against our unit in a recent national publication at a time the unit should be commended for raising the anti-smuggling tempo to a greater height.
This act is not only illegal but unpatriotic against Nigeria and the new government of President Muhammadu Buhari that has not hidden its determination to stamp out all forms of corruption and fight against all the illegalities that has been drawing the country backward”.
According to her, it is laughable that, the faceless groups are rising against an outstanding unit that has been reputed for recording unprecedented seizures.
She said the allegation is coming “soon after we made 32 seizures with Duty Paid Value of over N814 million last month”.
Giving a further insight into the activities of the unit , she said: “In retrospect, we also arrested 24 suspects in connection with the seizures with 21 cases in courts for the month of September alone. Also last month, we made underpayment recovery of N26,272,009 into government coffers”.
“We are not surprised that these wild allegations are coming barely two weeks after we clamped down and stopped some merchants of deaths from bringing fake and deadly drugs into the country.
“We know that criminal cartels must fight back but we know they are fighting a lost battle as we shall continue to interdict, seize prohibited and smuggled goods as well as arrest suspects involved in the acts within the ambit of the law”, she added
Hitting back at the platform that was used to launch the attack, she cautioned: “We find it imperative to educate members of Campaign for Democracy and the public that we implement government extant laws as enshrined in the Customs Excise Management Act (CEMA) and other enabling legislation”.
The spokesperson challenged the Campaign for Democracy to come out with any evidence of wrongdoings or wrongful seizures made by the Customs.
“We are not and will never be open for any form of dialogue to compromise our statutory duties. We advise Campaign for Democracy to visit our warehouse and show proof of any seizure wrongly made by presenting evidences of genuine duty payments”
“We also advise them to show to the public, any shops where Customs operatives stock or put seized goods up for sale”.
“On the allegations of official misconduct by our patrol teams, the human right group may further avail us with information to enable the Customs Area Controller, Victor Dimka to investigate and deal with any erring officer who is found to be aiding and abating unlawful activities”, the PRO added.
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