ABUJA: In a major operation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 1,533 generators and 542 cartons of banned frozen poultry products with a street value of N37,562,000.
The generators were found on a Mack truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; the poultry products were impounded in a minibus on the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode Expressway. The generators are the two stroke type, popularly known as I pass my neighbour.
The Shittu Almaruf-led Customs team, investigation revealed, prowl approved and unapproved routes across Ogun State in pursuit of smugglers. It was learnt that the Customs may have put generator dealers around Shagamu, Mowe/Ibafo, Idiroko, Owode, Alapoti, Lusada and Atan out of business.
Investigation by The Nation revealed that the vehicles and the goods have been kept at the government warehouse, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
“The items were subjected to 100 per cent examination to ascertain the quantity and confiscated in line with Sections 46 & 47 of the Customs Management Act, Cap 45 LFN.
“The team is devising other means of ensuring that the activities of the smugglers in its area of operation are curtailed and we have been carrying anti-smuggling campaigns to all the nooks and cranny of Ogun State, to show them that we are deeply committed to the task of suppressing smuggling.
“By seizing the generators, the Nigeria Customs is merely enforcing a law, which emanated from a memo of the Federal Ministry of Environment, advising the government on its health implications. The ban placed on the importation of I pass my neighbour generator is not new. It came into effect on April 28, 2011 and was officially gazette in May of the same year.
“The Federal Government gazette No 47 Volume 98 stated categorically that the purpose of this regulation is to restore, preserve and improve the quality of air.
“The ban is to safe guard citizens’ right and access to clean air, reduce/prevent air pollution and improve the health of Nigerians, especially in the urban areas with high incidence of air pollution; in view of the poisonous gaseous emission,” a source said.
The source added: “With regard to the seized frozen poultry products, we are not relenting in our efforts to protect the health of Nigerians as well as the huge investments of our local farmers.
“We will continue to make life difficult for smugglers and frustrate their efforts until they hearken to the voice of reason and stop sabotaging the efforts of the government.
“These products, beyond the fact that they fall under the import prohibition list, are also very detrimental to human health, hence not good for consumption.”
lmaruf told The Nation that the team would continue to go after smugglers retriving his men’t encounter with miscreants and street urchins, who pretend to be smugglers. He said such pressure would not deter the team from smuggling activities to its barest minimum.
