By SHEHU YAHAYA
With coming of Comptroller Ibrahim Musa Jalo, as the Customs Comptroller Federal Operation Unit Zone B, Kaduna has left no one in doubt that he meant alot and he went to make difference in transforming his zone with his style of leadership of open consultation to all stakeholders.
As an individual is a disciplinarian. He does not tolerate indiscipline attitude towards jobs. He is a team player, above everything he is humble. When you are humble,
The Federal Operation Unit Kaduna of today is a paving a new vision – a vision of hard work, determination, transparency, discipline and focus.
According Comptroller Jalo, Smuggling is a wasted investment; there are better ways of investing money where profit can be made without any injury to the nation’s economy and security.
FOU Zone B comprises 10 states within the Northwest and North Central geopolitical zones with Kaduna as its administrative headquarters, while the unit’s anti smuggling activities stretches around Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kogi, Kwara and Niger states.
To start with, Comptroller Musa Jalo, open door policy, FOU zone B made 130 seizures from January to February with duty paid value of N305.7 million and 188 seizures from March to April with duty paid value N628m 2023.
The Comptroller of the unit, Musa Ibrahim Jalo, while giving the unit’s scorecard said the seized items were contravened the Federal Government policies regarding imports and exports ,and were deposited at various Customs Formations in the Zone.
In January to 28 February 2023 made a total of 130 Seizures of different items at various locations in the Zone.
The seized items include the following:
Units of Used Vehicles, 2 Units of Means of Conveyance, 724 Bags of Foreign Rice (50kg each), 6 Cartons of Foreign Machetes, 163 Jerrycans Vegetable Oil (25 litres each), and 646 Cartons of Foreign Spaghetti and Macaroni.
Other seized items are 90 Bales of Foreign Secondhand clothing, 569 packs of Foreign unregistered pharmaceutical products, 119 packs of unregistered Tramadol, and Tramaking 225mg 17 Sacks Foreign Secondhand Shoes, 7 Cartons of Foreign Cigarettes, 147 pieces of Foreign Jack Knives 50 Cartons of Foreign soap and 635 Kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (25 Litres each).
On 6th April 2023, the Operatives of the Unit while on credible intelligence intercepted One (1) Used Mitsubishi Canter with Registration Number AKR 10 XG conveying Sacks of Cannabis Sativa otherwise known as Marijuana concealed with Bags of Cassava flakes (Garri) and Sawdust along Bungudu-Tsafe Road in Zamfara State
After physical examination, the vehicle was found to contain 46 sacks of Marijuana, with a street value of Two Million, Sixty Nine Thousand, One Hundred and Forty-Four Naira and Forty Kobo (N2, 069,144.40K)”
Similarly, on 23rd March 2023; our operatives arrested a suspicious white illegal narcotic substance together with Two (2) male suspects and One (1) locally made pistol in the course of our anti-smuggling operations at Maigatari axis of Jigawa State.
The suspected illegal substance together with the male suspects was brought to the Office for further action” he said.
The Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Kaduna State Command were invited to carry out a test on the suspected illegal substance to determine its true nature. The test further proved the illegal substance to be OPIUM Substance with a total weight of Four Hundred and Forty-Two grams (442g
Comptroller Jalo, further said “on 25th April 2023 at about 1130hrs, our operatives while on stop and search operations also arrested One (1) Used Volkswagen Golf driven by a Nigerien citizen along Jibia-Katsina Road. During the operation, the patrol officers observed and identified a sack in the vehicle that was later opened, and assorted Military camouflaged shirts, trousers, and T-shirts were found.
After further examination and interrogation, the driver was identified to be a Nigerien Citizen and the suspected uniforms were to be delivered to an unknown person in Katsina”
The Uniforms were counted to be Twenty-Two (22) pairs of Foreign Tactical Military Camouflage Shirts and Trousers and another Twenty-Five (25) pieces of Military Camouflage T-Shirt
He called on patriotic Nigerians also to support the Customs service with relevant information that will assist the personnal to carry out their duties successfully.
As a Man of honor the Comptroller advice on those engaged in smuggling to desist and embrace legitimate businesses.
He advise smugglers to have a rethink, investing in smuggling doesn’t guarantee continuity, the customs service will everyday be innovative, and there is no way they can escape from customs.
