LAGOS: The Area Command, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, of Niger, Kogi and Kwara States, has called on stakeholders to compliment its efforts to effectively tackle the menace of smuggling in the states. Alhaji Garba Kabiru, the Comptroller of Customs in the command, made the call, weekend, in Minna, Niger State in an interview. Kabiru said efforts by stakeholders, such as religious leaders and traditional rulers, would help the officers to apprehend those involved in illegal activities in these states.
He said: “All we want is intelligence reports on movement of smugglers to enable our field officers confront them. Our people, for a very long time, have developed a listening culture from what their religious leaders tell them and we will use the opportunity to reach out to them to end the smuggling businesses for the common good of our economy.“ Kabiru explained that religious leaders were expected to make special sermons on the dangers of engaging in smuggling and the consequences to the nation’s economy. “We have made available our special squad numbers to members of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, to alert us on movement of smugglers in all the major roads we are supervising,” he said. He said already, all illegal entry routes and those on transits had been blocked by well armed personnel in the three states.
