Katsina Customs Clears Air On Alleged Extortion, Generates ₦196M, Makes Seizures Worth ₦77M In Two Months

The Nigeria Customs Service, Katsina Area Command has cleared the air concerning a video that went viral with a narrative on extortion by Customs operatives from groundnuts and beans sellers along the Kaita-Dankama Road of Katsina State.

The Customs Area Controller, Katsina Area Command, Comptroller Wada Chedi during a briefing stated that the laws are clear on import and export procedures and that it’s the statutory responsibility of the service to block any illegal means of import and export.

He emphasized that “Dankama Border is among the closed borders by the Federal Government, pointing out that only the Jibia Border is re-opened and it’s expected of every legitimate trader to import through it. He said all goods coming from across Nigeria are allowed only through the Jibia Border in Katsina. Dankama or Kagadama markets are not allowed. Duties are collected on food items coming to Nigeria through Jibia Border such as beans, tiger nuts, dates, ground nuts, etc.

“We have the sample documents of those who have paid into the Federation Accounts on those products for you to verify. Any duty paid to Customs goes directly into the Federal Government Accounts called TSA. Customs in Katsina has recorded over 500 million naira from the day the Jibia Border was re-opened and over 5 billion worth of value of exported items all passed through the Jibia”, he noted.

“Customs deals with the stakeholders not end users e.g association of beans, sesame, and groundnut sellers at the border markets, not groundnut retailers or union of loaders. The stakeholders agreed with our findings that over 75% of their food products are coming from the Niger Republic and they agreed to pass through Jibia and pay their duties which they have been doing, documents are there to see”, he said.

Comptroller Wada also said that an agreement was reached with the Associations of Tiger Nuts and Palm Dates, associations of beans, groundnuts, and sesame at Jibia, Dankama, Kaita and Kagadama, to issue their union receipts to those that bought and load their goods from their markets to enable them present at any patrol checkpoints they come across. Verification from the union leaders to ascertain if they are genuine or not.

He assured the people of Katsina State business community of the officer’s professionalism in discharging their mandates and called on mischief makers to allow peace to reign or face prosecution when caught smuggling.

In his words, “we have intensified our strategies on arresting any smuggler. We are calling on those mischievous people to stop misleading the public or face the wrath of the law.

“The security heads in Katsina State have formed an ADHOC committee to go around the state to fish out all the bad eggs within the security agencies such as Illegal checkpoint, extortion, use of camp boys in discharging official duties”.

Comptroller Wada stated that the Command collected the sum of ₦75,600,991.00 as duty in September 2022. In the same vein, the sum of ₦121,800,478.00 was collected in October 2022.

In the area of Anti-smuggling, some of the seizures made during the period under review are eight used vehicles of different categories, 302 bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice, 361 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 30 cartons of foreign couscous, 40 cartons of foreign macaroni, 4 sacks of foreign macaroni,6. 37 bags of foreign flour, 10 bales of second-Hand clothing, 122 jerry cans of PMS of 25 litres all with a total Duty Paid Value of ₦77,803,825

He appreciated the CGC, Col. Ibrahim Hameed Ali (Rtd) and his management team for their support, he also extended his gratitude to the Governor of Katsina State and his Executive Council members for their support of Customs operations in the state.

The count read: ”That you, Yahaya Lawal Idris, being the Auditor-General for Local Government, Yobe State, between the 20th to 21st day of May 2017 at Damaturu, Yobe State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, received the sum of N19,900,000.00 via your personal account number 1001480930 with account name Alhaji Yahaya Idris domiciled with United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) from the Local Government Audit Account Number 5030030060 domiciled with Fidelity Bank Plc for the purchase of a Brand new Toyota Corolla 2015 Model, did dishonestly misappropriated the gross sum of Ten Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira (N10,100,000.00) only being the money made for the purchase of the said brand new Toyota Corolla 2015 for the office of the Local Government Auditor-General, Yobe State, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Yobe State of Nigeria and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”

The defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge preferred against him by the EFCC.

Counsel for the prosecution J. A Ojogbane who appeared alongside M. A Ahmed prayed for a trial date in view of the plea of not guilty by the defendant. However, counsel for the defendant, M. Baba Zau through a bail application, urged the court to admit his client to bail pending the determination of the case.

Justice Lawan thereafter admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of Two Million Naira with one surety in like sum. The surety must be a landed property owner in Damaturu.

The matter was adjourned till 30 November 2022 for the commencement of trial.