Compt Ejibunu Hands Over Big Shoes At Customs FOU ‘A’ to Compt Oladeji

…Records 3,189 Overall Seizures Worth N39.9billion, Arrests 386 Smugglers, 22 Convictions

By DAPO OLAWUNI

Customs anti-smuggling czar; Compt Kehinde Hussein Ejibunu on Friday handed the reins of command at the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A Ikeja to the new Controller of the unit, Compt Kola Oladeji, following his transfer from the unit to Customs Headquarters, Abuja.

Ejibunu at his valedictory press conference disclosed that the unit under his watch from 10th September 2021 till date, recorded a total of 3,189 seizures with a duty paid value of ₦35,908,331,412.00 with a total of 386 suspects arrested in connection with some of the seizures.
He added that 22 people were convicted for committing different Customs offences.

Prominent among the seizures are, 222,285 X 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice (370 Trailer loads)
1,140,864 Litres of premium motor spirit (33 Tankers)
16,432.30kg of Indian Hemp
26,303 pieces of used pneumatic tyres.

Others are; 11,175 Bales of used clothes 751x 70mm of live cartridges 12,912 cartons of foreign frozen poultry products
5,033 pieces of donkey skin
450 x 106kg drums of carbide
233 cartons x 225mg of tramadol
7,640 cartons of expired and unapproved drugs, 303 Units of foreign used vehicles and 104 Haojue motorcycles.

Ejibunu also disclosed that the Unit recovered the sum of N2,256,549,232.48 through the issuance of demand notices (D/N) due to transfer of value and wrong classification of cargoes.

He expressed profound gratitude to the management of the Nigeria Customs Service, under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, adding that the Unit under his watch unarguably enjoyed the morale and logistics support that was needed to succeed.

“My appreciation also goes to the management, officers and men of this Unit for their untiring support, dedication, gallantry and uncompromising posture in the fight against smuggling and revenue recovery.

“You worked both day and night to ensure that the successes we recorded were achieved. Unfortunately, while on legitimate duties within Zone’s area of operations, eight (8) officers sustained different degrees of injuries while five (5) lost their lives in the line of duty; may their souls rest in peace through the mercy of God (amen).

“My journey of leadership of the Unit that commenced on the 10th September, 2021 till date was a bit challenging but above all, very successful. A part of the challenges encountered when I assumed duty newly was the continued rate of suspected smugglers attacks on officers while on duty.

“To mitigate such levels of attacks, the Unit embarked on sensitisation programmes and courtesy visits to traditional rulers of border communities which yielded a drastic reduction in the levels of deadly confrontations and attacks.

“I cannot hurriedly forget the cooperation of most of the traditional rulers such as the Onipokia of Ipokia Kindom, Ogun State; Oba Yisa Sola Adeniyi Adelakun Olaniyan (JP), the Alake of Egba Land, Ogun State; Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III, and the Olu of Ilaro/Paramount Ruler of Yewa Land, Ogun State; His Royal Majesty, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, who visited the Unit twice to commiserate with the officers and men over the loss of some gallant men on duty.

“Other successes recorded by the Unit under my watch include; improved suppression of smuggling by making more seizures and the arrest of suspects served as a deterrent to intending smugglers. Increased revenue recovery through meticulous documentary checks and issuance of demand notices on goods found to have underpaid. Enhanced trade facilitation by providing escorts for goods on fast track for compliant traders.

“Let me use this medium to express my profound gratitude to compliant traders, importers and agents for being patriotic and sincere in their declarations, and for being compliant with the extant Customs procedures.

“My gratitude also goes to patriotic members of the public for providing useful and timely information that aided the success of some of our operations” Ejibunu stated