Customs Seizes 56 Containers in Rivers

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 56 containers laden with vegetable oil, assorted used clothing and tomato paste with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N5.53 billion at the Onne Port in Rivers State.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

According to him, the seized consignments comprised 45 containers containing more than 1.1 million litres of vegetable oil, nine containers of assorted used clothing and two containers of foreign tomato paste.

He said the consignments were falsely declared by importers as plants, spare parts and machinery.

Adeniyi said the seizures followed an intelligence-driven review of cargoes destined for Free Trade Zones in the country.

He explained that the exercise exposed what he described as a flagrant abuse of incentives and waivers granted by the Federal Government to operators in Special Economic Zones and Free Trade Zones to encourage local production and exports.

“We have come to undertake a review of our operations to ensure that our quest to facilitate trade is not exploited to inflict damage on the local economy.

“As we facilitate trade and ensure prompt clearance of imported goods through our ports, we must also ensure that local producers of the same products get justice,” he said.

The Customs boss explained that the Federal Government allows operators in free zones to import raw materials, plants and machinery duty-free and, in some cases, goods under import prohibition.

He, however, said investigations had revealed that some operators were abusing the concessions.

Adeniyi said the Onne Area II Command, through risk-based profiling, discovered that importers operating in the free zones had brought in 45 containers of vegetable oil branded “Delicious and Poor.”

He said each of the 45 containers contained 1,050 jerry cans of 25 litres each, amounting to more than 1.1 million litres, with a DPV of N4,252,500,000.

He added that nine 40-foot containers of assorted used clothing, valued at N1,045,580,000, and two 20-foot containers of foreign tomato paste, valued at N232 million, were also intercepted.

The seizures brought the total number of containers to 56, with a combined DPV of N5,530,080,000.

Adeniyi said the containers were falsely declared as machinery, plants and spare parts, allegedly with the intention of diverting the consignments into the domestic market rather than taking them to the free zones for legitimate manufacturing activities.

“The remarkable thing about these containers is that they were declared as machinery and spare parts. When we discovered them during physical examination, we discovered they were vegetable oil and it is obvious that the intention of the importer is not to take them to free trade zones for any manufacturing activities, but to introduce them into our local markets,” he said.

The Comptroller-General recalled that less than a month ago, the Cross River/Akwa Ibom Area Command seized two 40-foot containers of vegetable oil destined for the Calabar Free Trade Zone which were allegedly being diverted.

He said records also showed that about 40 other containers of vegetable oil had earlier been taken into the Calabar Free Trade Zone.

Adeniyi said the 56 containers were seized for allegedly contravening Sections 55 and 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

“We are going to initiate court processes leading to condemnation and final forfeiture.

“Number three, all those involved, whether importers, agents, shipping companies, I have directed our legal unit to initiate their prosecution.

“Number four, we will undertake a comprehensive audit of all containers whose customs processes were suspended and moved to Tinapa Free Trade Zone. Until all transferred containers are properly accounted for, no further transfer of containers to Tinapa Free Trade Zone will be allowed,” he said.

Earlier, the Customs Comptroller-General commissioned a reconstructed Primary Healthcare Centre in Ebubu, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The facility was reconstructed by the Port Harcourt Area II Command, Onne.

Adeniyi described the project as a milestone in the transformation of the Nigeria Customs Service into a modern, professional and responsive institution.