DESPITE the border closure, the Seme Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has made 235 seizures with duty paid value of N91,162,942 within five weeks.
Included in the seizure are two buses belonging to Chisco Nigeria Limited for carrying illicit drugs.
Other items seized include 1113 bags of 50kg rice; 24,710 litres of premium motor spirit; 188 cartons of frozen poultry products; 105 textile materials; 22 vehicles; 84 sacks of used clothing, ladies handbags and shoes.
Others are 30 sacks and a carton of soap, 35 cartons of choco drink, 51 pieces of motorcycle spare parts, 28 jerrycans of vegetable oil;25 sacks of hides and skin.
Also seized are 10 sacks of melon (egusi), 89 cartons of blue and magarine, two sacks of stockfish,12 packs of peanuts and 23 bundles of corrugated papers.
The Acting Customs Area Controller of the Command, Dalha Cheidi Wada, said the area would be a no go area for smugglers and other perpetrators of illegalities.
He said seven suspects were arrested in connection with various seizures made. While two were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), three were granted bail.
According to Wada, the Chisco buses were discovered to have carried amphetamine syrup.
He explained that aside breaching policy on partial border closure, which prohibits imports and exports in and out of Nigeria, the drugs were without National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration number.
Wada said the buses had 13 and 29 cartons worth about N6million in addition to 422,500mg of tramadol.
“Our eagle eyed officers are always at alert to detect and make seizures of smuggled items despite their antics. In one incident, a smugglers posed as traditional chief to enjoy royal respect and free passage. Upon being asked to alight and open his booth, he knew the game was up, quickly alighted and fled into the bush.
“We have seized the vehicle and smuggled items contained in it. There is also daily smuggling of petroleum products and we have been seizing them along the various bush paths. We are ensuring that no one smuggled a jerrycan of PMS. As we speak, more seizures of petrol are coming in, to confirm what I said earlier,” Wada said.

By Muyiwa Lucas