The Murtala Muhammed Area Command (MMA) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has revealed that it seized illicit items valued at N10.51 billion in 2024.
The command also disclosed that it generated a total revenue of N180.7 billion in 2024, surpassing its N179.73 billion target by over N1 billion.
Comptroller Michael Awe, the Customs Area Controller of MMA, made the announcement during a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday.
Awe emphasized that the command remains dedicated to facilitating trade while upholding the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. He stated that the command has been relentless in its efforts to safeguard the nation and protect citizens from illicit trade.
“In our relentless pursuit of safeguarding the nation and protecting its citizens against illicit trade, we have made significant seizures.
These seized items have a cumulative Duty-Paid Value (DPV) of N10.51 billion and are a testament to the command’s keen commitment to enforcing customs laws and regulations,” Awe said.
Breakdown of seizures
The Customs chief detailed several seizures made by the command, which had a cumulative Duty-Paid Value (DPV) of N10.51 billion. The confiscated items include:
- 21 packages of 225mg tramadol hydrochloride
- 50 rounds of 9mm live ammunition
- 54 pieces of military hardware
- 46 packages of dried sea cucumbers
- Three packages of dried donkey male genitals
- 55 pieces of Jojel Tomahawk semi-automatic rifles
- 50 packages of dried Canadian cannabis
- 225 pieces of drones
- 250 pieces of turtles
- One package of pangolin skin
- One package of porcupine thorns and mineral stones
Awe reiterated that the command maintains an open-door policy, actively engaging with stakeholders, sister agencies, and the media to address common concerns and improve operations.
He further assured that the command would continue to innovate, strategize, and block revenue loopholes to meet and exceed its revenue targets. Reaffirming his commitment to trade facilitation and strict enforcement of customs laws
“Moving forward, we will continue to innovate, strategize, and block loopholes to meet revenue targets,” he stated.
What you should know
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) achieved a historic milestone in 2024 by collecting a record N6.1 trillion in revenue. This surpassed its target of N5.08 trillion by N1.03 trillion, reflecting a 20.2% increase.
- The figure also marks a 90.4% rise from the N3.21 trillion collected in 2023, exceeding the previous year’s growth by 38.18 percentage points.
- Additionally, the NCS recorded its highest-ever monthly revenue in October 2024, reaching N603.17 billion.
- In terms of export trade, the NCS achieved a remarkable N136.65 trillion in export value for 2024, a 219.5% increase from N42.77 trillion in 2023.
While the number of export transactions remained stable at 38,199, the volume of exports surged significantly, reaching 12.35 billion kilograms in 2024, compared to just 3.70 billion kilograms the previous year.
