The Western Marine Command (WMC) of the Nigeria Customs Service; Comptroller Serikin Kebbi yesterday in Lagos assured that the command would soon take delivery gun-fitted anti-smuggling boats.
The controller disclosed this yesterday at the command’s headquarters where he told journalists about the seizure of assorted goods with Duty Paid Value of about N15.4 Million.
According to, Comptroller Kebbi, the goods were intercepted at Yekemeh Creek along Badagry.
He however lamented that the command is limited by lack of boats, even as he assured that as soon as the command’s vessels are put in shape, it would be easier to purse the smugglers, even in the lagoons and creeks.
“Our sea-going vessels will be put in order in a couple of weeks, and after that arresting suspects in lagoons and creeks will be easier. We are working with the Nigerian Navy to ensure that our waters are well-protected”.
Speaking further, he said that in a couple of weeks, the vessels would be fully-functional.
“Naval experts have inspected the guns, where they will be mounted on the vessels, to avoid the vessels being hijacked by pirates on the high sea and other criminal agents.
“With the launch, the hopes of trained marine officers who have been looking forward to the commissioning of the vessels to ease the inconveniences and the risk they have to go through chasing smugglers with more sophisticated boast will be raised.
He added that ‘’we have two vessels; one for Western Marine and the other for Eastern Marine, so we will continue to do our jobs to put smuggling to standstill”.
“I am promising you that there will more seizures from this command when our sea moving vessels become active. Smuggling is purely economic sabotage. We are not alone in this fight sometimes we work with the Nigerian Navy and the Army”, he stated.
He also reiterated that the command’s personnel are ready to lay down their lives ensure that smuggling is stopped.
“If need be, we are ready to lay our lives to ensure that smuggling is stopped. We have made 30 seizures since in resumed office six months ago
On the seized goods, he told journalists that the goods included: 1800 kegs of Petrol with DPV of N6, 343, 750, 348 cartons and 25sacks of assorted imported soap with DPV of N3.2Million. Other are: 438 pieces of used tires with DPV of N2.1Million and 300 bags of foreign parboiled rice with DPV of N3.7Million
Comptroller Kebbi said no arrest was made as the suspects jumped into the lagoon o sighting the Customs team.
Explaining why the suspects could not be arrested, the Controller said: “At times getting suspects in lagoons and creeks are always very difficult because most of them will jump into the water. It is easier to arrest suspects on high seas than to arrest them in lagoons and creeks”.
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