The Nigeria Customs Service, Zone B, has reported that it generates about N9 billion from January to April this year.
The zone covers 11 states comprising, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Niger, Kogi, Kwara and the FCT.
The Zonal Coordinator, Mr Udo Emmanuel, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kaduna.
He explained: “We generated over N2.5 billion in January, over N2.2 in February and it then rose to over N2.3 billion in March and dropped to over N2.2 billion in April,” he said
“The reason for revenue drop in April particularly in Kaduna and Kano dry ports is because Customs introduced NISES 2, which is an automated system of collecting and computing revenue which is usually enhanced yearly”, the customs officer added.
Emmanuel, who is an Assistant Controller General, explained that the revenue platform was being upgraded yearly to forestall manipulations by unscrupulous importers in their antics to exploit and defraud government of accruable revenue from the zone.
Giving a further analysis of the zone’s operations during the period under review, the ACG disclosed that about 528 seizures and 38 arrests were made.
He clarified: “In January, the Zone had 103 seizures with 10 suspects and a duty paid value of over N157 million, in the month of February we had 175 seizures with 11 suspects and a duty paid value of over N313 million while in March, we had 160 seizures with 12 suspects and a duty paid value of over N164 million and lastly in April, we had 90 seizures with five suspects arrested and duty value of about N95 million”.
He hinted that the total amount of the duty paid value of the seizures made in the first quarter of the year stood at over N773 million.
Emmanuel pointed out that activities of smugglers within the zone had reduced drastically due to innovative approaches being adopted by the zone to curb smuggling and the support of the Federal Government for the Nigeria Customs Service generally.
