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Customs impound COVID-19 vehicle with smuggled poultry products

The Federal Operations Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service says it has intercepted a vehicle with COVID-19 sticker used for smuggling frozen chicken into the country.

The unit in a statement said it also intercepted other contraband goods worth N12.7bn between January and April.

Customs Area Controller of the unit, Usman Yahaya, who spoke through the Public Relations Officer, FOU, Zone ‘A’ Jerry Attah, said that the officers intercepted the vehicle while trying to smuggle cartons of  frozen chicken into the country from the Benin Republic.

Yahaya said the vehicle was arrested along Ijebu Ode expressway.

He also disclosed that they were intercepted based on intelligence reports and the efforts of eagle-eyed officers who were on routine patrol along the axis.

He said, “The officers were professional enough to intercept the vehicle which was believed to be used in the movement of essential commodities but they were surprised to see that it was used for illegal activities such as movement of contraband.

“We have arrested the vehicle and investigation has commenced to get to the root of the matter and unravel other atrocities that may have been committed using the essential duty tag.”

Speaking on the activities of the command in the last four months, Yahaya said contraband worth N12.7bn was intercepted between January and April.

According to him, the unit also paid N1.14bn into the Treasury Single Account of the Federal Government from debit notes on intercepted containers from Lagos seaport; voluntary payment of Customs duty on vehicles; auction sales from petrol, among others.

Giving a breakdown of the seizures, he said 25 units of used vehicles worth N108m; 5,644 cartons of frozen chicken worth N54.1m; 9,843 bags of 50kg smuggled parboiled rice worth N130.4m and sacks of textile materials worth N94m.

Others are N14m worth of used tyres; 3,764 kegs of smuggled vegetable oil worth N69.2m; 8,365 litres of smuggled petrol and diesel worth N35m.

The Customs boss said, “We won’t relent on our anti-smuggling fight especially at this time the government is preaching diversification into the agric sector due to the fall in price of oil in the international market, which has affected government revenue base.

“So, we will ensure that smuggling is reduced to the barest minimum and we will not allow it to fester as that could be injurious to our economy and well-being as a country.”

Uber launches mask verification as part of new safety measures

As governments begin to lift lockdowns, Uber is taking unprecedented safety measures to help everyone who uses its app stay safe and healthy.

From next week, all Uber riders, drivers in Nigeria will be required to wear a mask or face covering when taking a trip.

As part of a new in-app safety checklist, before drivers go online they will be asked to take a selfie to verify they are wearing a mask or face covering using new object recognition technology. Any driver who is not wearing a mask or other face covering will not be able to go online.

Drivers will also be asked to confirm they’ve taken additional safety measures such as regularly sanitising their car and making hand sanitizer available for their riders.

While riders will be required to take safety precautions like washing their hands before getting in the car, sitting in the backseat and opening windows for ventilation.

These new safety measures will be introduced on Monday 18 May and stay in effect until the end of June, when they will be reviewed based on the latest official health guidance.

Uber is also today allocating $50 million globally to help provide drivers and couriers with access to the protective equipment, cleaning and sanitising supplies they need to work more safely on the Uber app.

This includes purchasing and beginning to distribute more than 7 million masks, and over 350,000 units of sanitising and cleaning supplies to drivers and couriers across Europe.

In addition, Uber will partner with consumer goods company Unilever to provide hygiene kits to drivers and couriers in the UK, with plans to expand to more countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa soon. The kits will include Cif (Jif) Antibacterial Multi-Purpose Spray and Lifebuoy alcohol-based hand gel, among other items.

Also, free cancellations for safety concerns: Drivers can cancel a ride without a penalty if a rider isn’t wearing a mask or face covering. Riders can do the same. These cancellations must be related to safety concerns, Uber’s Community Guidelines prohibit discrimination against anyone based on their race or perceived national origin.

 

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