The Assistant Controller General incharge of Zone “B”, Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Abubakar, has pledged to work with key stakeholders to suppress smuggling within the zone.
Abubakar, who met with journalists shortly after assuming duty in Kaduna, said the effort was to ensure synergy in the task of policing the country’s borders.
He noted that in the course of enforcement activities, the customs service was bound to work with other security agencies and various stakeholders to prevent smuggling and safeguard the nation’s borders.
He charged all customs personnel in the zone to respond efficiently to all challenges and bring their experiences to bear in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Abubakar noted that part of the issues was the security challenges bedevilling the country especially the Northern region and said the service also has a big role in blocking the smuggling of weapons into Nigeria.
He stressed that the backbone of success of any operation or organisation lies in discipline, and charged all personnel not to be found wanting in that regard.
He also called on the personnel to regard their posting to the zone as a call to national service, which they must carry out within the confines of the law.
Abubakar assured that the command would continue to sentitize the general public on the rules and regulations governing importation and exportation of goods to and from the country.
“Some people go into importation without following due process, we have understood that there are so many items being imported, which didn’t fall into the prohibited items, but those importing them didn’t follow due process,” he said.
According to him, such importers need to be sensitised to follow due process and not run foul of the law due to ignorance.
“The command is going to run a robust public enlightenment campaign for all stakeholders,” the zone’s coordinator said, and urged the media to key into the program to assist in the suppression of smugling in the country.
According to him, the core duty of the NCS apart from containing smuggling is the issue of revenue generation, which he said the zone would exceed the target set for it at the end of the year.
