ABUJA: The Adamawa/Taraba Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday said it generated N111.75 million as revenue between January and June. The area comptroller, Mr Francis Adetoye, who disclosed this to newsmen in Yola , said the command also made 22 seizures with a Duty Paid Value of N42.765 million within the period under review. He said that of the amount, the command recorded over N26 million as increment in revenue in June alone. Adetoye added that the officials from the command also seized a truck-load of diesel allegedly meant for the Boko Haram sect in Samba forest. He disclosed that the truck was conveying about 500 jerry cans filled with petroleum product when the customs’ officials impounded it. The comptroller who displayed the seized items said that they were seized from the culprits along the Mubi- Madagali Highway. “The men of the Federal Operation Unit (FOU) of the NCS patrolling the Mubi-Madagali highway in Adamawa, seized a Mitsubishi truck fully loaded with about 500 jerry cans of petroleum.
“The driver and other passengers of the truck ran into the bush on sighting the operational team. “We suspected that the fuel was being transported to Sambisa Forest for Boko Haram use ” Adetoye said. He also said that eight members of the team narrowly escaped being lynched by suspected smugglers in Wuro Bokki area of Adanawa. Adetoye said that this happened when the team was chasing smugglers in the water ways along the Nigeria – Cameroon maritime border. He said that the smugglers were involved in a head-on collision with a tricycle in their bid to escape arrest. He said following the casualties recorded in the accident, the smugglers allegedly mobilized villagers for a possible attack of the patrol team. Adetoye said that the timely intervention of sister security agencies and traditional rulers from the area saved the situation. He, however, warned smugglers to quit the area, look for a legitimate job or be ready to face prosecution if apprehended.
