The Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reported that it generated N11.6 billion in the first quarter of 2018.
This is even as reported sundry seizures, including bullet proof jackets, military helmets, military camouflage uniforms, military Fez caps and military vests of different camouflage colours from the sheds of the two ground handling companies at the airport during the period.
The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Mr. Ephraim Haruna, in a statement said that the revenue generated represented 74.34 per cent of the envisaged revenue target set for the Command in the quarter under review.
He stated that in March, when the new Customs Area Comptroller (CAC), Mrs. Jayne Shoboiki, took over the Command, a total of N4.12 billion was generated.
The spokesman stated further that during the first quarter, the Command made seizures of consignments of imported military hardware as well as 20 pieces of assorted optical sight wrapped in a military camouflage uniform bags, mainly for riffles and grenade launcher, military knee/shin guards.
Other seizures include, handcuffs, police official cardigans, drones, 108 cartons of expired (2009) Beef imported into the Country, pangolin scales and Tramadol tablets with no of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to be exported out of the country, among others.
Haruna quoted Shoboiki as urging clearing agents to educate importers to desist from bringing into the country prohibited items such as military hardware which cannot be imported by an individuals.
The CAC said: “We have enough fresh beef in this country, I see no reason someone will import not only beef but expired one. The item is under the import prohibition list, schedule three, item two of the Common External Tariff (CET), was abandoned and all effort made to arrest the consignee proved abortive as the address mentioned does not exist.”
Shoboiki attributed the revenue performances and the seizures to the commitment of the officers and men at the Command, stressing that they had keyed into the strategies put in place to plug revenue leakages.
