Comptroller Salisu Abdullahi, the Customs Area Controller for Adamawa/Taraba area Command, announced that the command has recorded 19 seizures of various items, including 15,449 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 19 cartons of foreign insecticide, and 26 x 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice.
The cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items is reported to be N13,749,110.35.
During a press briefing at the headquarters of the Area Command in Yola, Abdullahi revealed that due to the flammability of the seized PMS, most of the product had been disposed of in compliance with existing laws, and the proceeds were remitted into the Federation Account. The remaining fraction of the PMS will be auctioned immediately after the briefing.
The Comptroller attributed the seizure of PMS to the contravention of Section 246 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, emphasizing that the territorial borders of the Command remain officially closed. Despite the seizures, no smugglers were apprehended, as they managed to evade capture.
Abdullahi called on Nigerians, stakeholders, and relevant security agencies at the Command’s frontiers to continue collaborating with Customs in the ongoing battle against smuggling. He stressed that this fight is a collective effort that requires the cooperation of all parties involved.