The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, has facilitated N8 billion worth of export cargoes from September to date.

The Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, Timi Bomordi, made this announcement on Tuesday while addressing journalists at the command in Seme, Lagos.

Bomordi also said that within the period under review, the command facilitated the export of 41,867.88 metric tons involving 1,048 trucks.

“The Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme paid N42 million. The surcharge paid for the period under review was N41 million,” he said.

In addition to facilitating exports, the Seme Customs Command has also surpassed its N1.966 billion revenue target for the year 2023.

“The command continues to sustain the tempo in harnessing all revenue components to achieve desired goals. The target for the command for the year 2023 was N1,966 billion. By the end of October 2023, the command had collected N3.050 billion. The revenue figure collected exceeded the allotted target by N1,084 billion which represented a 55.1 percent increase,” Bomordi stated.

The Seme Customs boss explained that the successes recorded could be attributed to strategies adopted by the command’s leadership to checkmate revenue loopholes in partnership with stakeholders to ensure compliance.

According to him, “Other contrabands seized within the period under review included, 168 live parrot birds, 3,805 bags of rice equivalent to seven trailer loads, 1,756 Jerrycans of premium motor spirit equivalent to 52,680 liters which are about two petroleum tankers 1,379 of general merchandise goods, 40 parcels of cannabis sativa, two used vehicles, and three live porcupines among others.“

Bomordi said that the seized birds are prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora of which Nigeria is a signatory.

He added that six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures.

“The seized Cannabis sativa and suspects will be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency  for further investigation. The duty paid value of the seized goods alone was N326 billion,” he emphasized.

Bomordi also promised to encourage compliant traders.

“Bearing in mind the challenges of the joint border patrol as one that is still adjusting to the reality of the border closure. We have to keep faith within government as talks are ongoing at the highest level to regularize the situation,” he concluded.