The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command has declared a revenue collection of over 45 billion naira for the first quarter of 2024.
This indicates an increase of twenty-three billion, eight hundred and sixty-nine million, seven hundred and thirty thousand, eight hundred and fifty-one naira and fifty-six kobo (₦23,869,730,851.56K), thus a 111.7% increase in comparison to what was generated in the same quarter of 2023.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Mohammed Sani Yusuf made this known during a press briefing in Ikeja on Monday.
He disclosed that the command equally recorded an appreciable increase in anti-smuggling activities which has led to the interception of fifty (50) pieces of 9mm live ammunitions discovered in a joint examination conducted by the Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Controller Yusuf further explained that the seizures made in the first quarter of 2024 include; one thousand, one hundred and sixty four (1,164kg) sea cucumbers, fifty eight kilograms (58kg) of donkey genitals and seventeen (17) packages of tramadol.
The cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the aforementioned items stood at five billion, seven hundred and ninety four million, ninety nine thousand, three hundred and seventy one naira and one hundred and nineteen kobo (N5,794,099,371.119k).
He revealed that all the seized items contravened some of the provisions of extant laws as enshrined in the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCS Act) 2023.
“The year 2024 is fraught with numerous global challenges and Nigeria is not exempted. Important sectors of the economy are adversely affected due to the unstable exchange rate.
“However, for us in the Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed Airport Command remains resolute at ensuring that we collect the much-needed revenue for the Federal Government and also ensure the safety and well-being of the citizenry through curbing smuggling to its barest minimum while facilitating legitimate import and export trades.
“Despite these challenges, Murtala Muhammed Airport Command has surpassed its records for the first quarter of 2024 compared to what was collected the previous year. In the first quarter of 2023 the Command collected Twenty-One Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty-Two Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy-Six Naira, Forty-Four Kobo (N21,362,752,676.44K) while in the corresponding period of 2024, the Command recorded Forty-Five Billion, Two Hundred and Thirty-Two Million, Four Hundred and Eighty-Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Twenty-Eight Naira (N45,232,483,528) only.
“This represents an appreciable increase of Twenty-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty-One Naira and Fifty-Six Kobo (N23,869,730,851.56K) only indicating 111.7% increase,” Yusuf stated.
The controller noted that the MMIA Command has maintained its open-door policy and resolved a lot of issues of common interest with concerned stakeholders.
Yusuf expressed gratitude to the critical stakeholders, sister agencies and the media for their collaborative efforts and synergy in carrying out statutory mandate in the state.
He also thanked the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC Bashiru Adewale Adeniyi and his management team for their continued support as well as officers and men of the command.
He urged his counterparts across the country to remain focused and steadfast in discharging their assigned responsibilities.
