By Giwa SHILE
The Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it was collaborating with other security agencies to secure the borders.
A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Saidu Abdullahi, said the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Aliyu, was carrying out the directive of the Comptroller-General to secure all land borders.
According to the statement, Aliyu made the remark while directing the construction of a fence to block an illegal route that might be used by miscreants for various cross border crimes.
Aliyu, who is also the Chairman, Joint Border Security Meeting (JBSM), said he would ensure effective collaboration among the security agencies at the Semester border post.
He said the collaboration was for efficient border management, and that security would not be compromised.
The controller said the collaboration was coming on the heels of a review of the operational strategies being implemented at the command. He said the Customs command was determined to suppress trans-border crimes to the barest minimum.
Aliyu promised to continue to enforce the Federal Government policies on all prohibited items through Lagos-Abidjan international corridor.
The controller advised stakeholders operating at the border post to engage only in legitimate transactions and adhere strictly to proper cargo clearance procedures and guidelines.
“The Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Ali, had alerted all border commands to maintain strict surveillance, as smugglers who have seen that the ports are impassable may try crossing through the borders. The command is ensuring that all identified loopholes are sealed.
“The use of the functional scanner machine has made it impracticable for any concealment to pass through,” Aliyu said.
He also said the command realised N438.68 million in May 2018. According to him, the command’s commitment to intelligence-driven operations has led to the arrest and seizure of 130 contrabands with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N95.50 million.
