By Muazu Abari
Yola
The Nigerian Customs Service, Adamawa command has seize smuggled goods, including rice, vehicles, textiles and soap worth over N119.7 million.
Disclosing this in a press statement made available to Blueprint yesterday, Controller, Adamawa/Taraba command, Adetoye Francis, added that the command also generated N145.03 million revenue for 2017 and pledged to work harder to exceed the mark in 2018.
The controller further reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Customs led by Col. Hameed Ali to fight smuggling in all parts of the country and bring it to its knees.
He warned those who engaged in smuggling in parts of the country to repent and turn a new life, noting that smuggling is fraud which has negative consequences on the national economy.
“Regardless of the idea being canvassed by a selfish section of the public, smuggling is not a trade; it is fraud and serious stealing from the national economy, bleeding it endlessly and profusely from the jugular vein,” he stated.
According to him, some of the negative effects of smuggling include, unemployment, poverty, low purchasing power, near-anarchy and instability ravaging the nation.
He added that government decision to ban rice importation was in the overall interest of the country, towards promoting local production of the commodity as well as generate employment and save Nigeria from being a dumping ground for other countries.
