ABUJA: The seizure was made by the Headquarters Compliance Team Idiroko axis of the customs on the Ijebu-Ode Sagamu road on January 13.
It was made known at a press briefing marking the assumption of office of the new Controller, Federal Operations Unit Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mohammed Umar.
Also impounded was a large quantity of used tyres seized by the Controller FOU A Surveillance Team, Seme axis.
The poultry were said to have been concealed in courier parcels, fuelling suspicion that it might not be the first time this illicit transaction would take place.
It will be recalled that the same team made a similar seizure last year when it intercepted a truck belonging to a haulage company used in smuggling over 5020 cartons of foreign frozen poultry, concealed with 2016 cartons of table water.
The outgoing Controller, Sani Madugu, in his speech, urged the officers to double their level of commitment through identification of appropriate operational modalities to suppress the activities of smugglers.
He also praised the leader of the Controller’s Surevillance Seme axis, Jude Ohagwu, a deputy superintendent of customs, for receiving another commendation from the Customs hierarchy.
The new controller, Umar, hails from Katsina State and was enlisted into the service as a cadet officer in 1982 after graduating from the Bayero University Kano.
He became a full Controller in 2012 and had served as area controller in the Premier Port Apapa, the PTML Command, Murtarla Muhammed Airport Command, the Federal Capital Territory Command and at the NCS headquarters before his present posting.
In a similar vein, the new Customs Area Controller in charge of Seme border, Victor Dimka, has urged importers and exporters as well as clearing agents operating at the border to play according to the rules of import and export trade.
He gave the charge recently shortly after receiving handover notes from the command’s acting Controller; Deputy Comptroller Sabo A.
Dimka urged officers and stakeholders to realise that the challenge of dwindling revenue from crude oil sales had made it imperative for maximum revenue to be collected by the Customs.
He said, “We have to shape up to collect maximum revenue and suppress smuggling to the barest minimum.
“All hands must be on deck in order to overcome the challenges of manning a peculiar international border like the Seme border, which is characterised by heavy vehicular and human traffic.”
Dimka added that for more revenue to be generated, smuggling must be fought to a standstill.
He urged all officers to brace for the challenge to perform their duty, despite the constraints of marshy creeks that might not be accessible to vehicular surveillance.
