The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun Area 1 Command, says it has seized a total of 1,830 various prohibited items in thirteen months, with the duty paid value of N2,383,401,660b.

The Customs Area Controller, Peter Chado Kolo, made this known while briefing newsmen on the scorecard of the Command for the year 2020 and January, 2021, held at the Sentry, Idi-Iroko Border Post, Ogun state.

He said the seizure included foreign parboiled rice, petroleum products, poultry products, used tyres, second hand clothing, dangerous drugs (tramadol and cannabis sativa), palm oil, assorted soap and body cream.

Kolo added that 512 vehicles and other means of conveyance were also confiscated in the period under review.

On the revenue generated by the Command within the period, the CAC said N65.770million was raked in through fees collected from the auction sales of seized petroleum products.

Kolo, however, said the Command was able to record the achievements due to some bold steps taken by his management.

The steps, according to him, included aggressive stakeholders engagement and management, deployment of intelligence in all the operations across the state, structural reorganization of the command, the improved motivation of officers, improved discipline and total dedication to duty by officers of the command.

While recalling that some officers and men of the Command suffered attacks from smugglers while performing their lawful duties, the CAC said his command would not be deterred by such attacks, vowing that Ogun 1 Area Command would step up its anti-smuggling operations.

He appealed to parents and guardians residing in border communities to prevail on their children, wards and youths to desist from such criminal acts such as smuggling and attack on Security agencies.

The customs boss further said the command had embarked on catch-them-young sensitisation to some secondary schools in border communities, to educate the students on the dangers inherent in smuggling activities, while encouraging them to aspire for a future career in the Nigeria Customs Service.