….enjoins Officers to ‘let Rule of Engagement be the Last Resort’
ZAINAB JUNAID
The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A Boss, Comptroller Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu has restated that all vehicles Seized for lack of patriotism by the Unit will forfeit the 90-Day Window Arrangement earlier announced on Sunday March 3, 2024 by the Nigeria Customs Service to regularize import duties on specific vehicles.
While showcasing number of vehicles Seized for the month of February and also fielding questions from journalists on Friday March 8, 2024, Comptroller Ejibunu explained that any vehicle illegally imported into the Country, caught by operatives of FOU or is under the Custody of the Unit, will first be placed under detention for 30 days and if there’s no obvious evidence of duty payment, will automatically be seized. Such Vehicle will not benefit from the 90-Day arrangement.
According to him, “A vehicle that is under detention and later come up with evidence of duty payment and is confirmed will definitely benefit from the 90- day Window initiative. Although, it is the prerogative preserve of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi to determine whether such Vehicle would be allowed to enjoy that window or not. However, for those vehicles in our custody, placed under detention for lack of patriotism and after 30 days, no obvious evidence of duty payment will be seized, and will not benefit from the 90- Day arrangement.”
Comptroller Ejibunu who disclosed that the Unit prevented the smuggling of eleven exotic used vehicles worth over N200m into the country through it’s area of responsibility in the month of February 2024, explained further that, “Most smugglers are more comfortable paying neighbouring duties but refused paying Nigeria government and this is a very serious offense because anyone who choose to pay another country but refuses to pay his own country, depicts lack of patriotism.
“Whoever come to claim the vehicle will have to contend with us by law, we will give him statement form, he will explain how he came about the vehicle that was illegally imported and after about 30 days without any evidence payment of duties through Nigeria Ports, we have him prosecuted,” he warned.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), under the directive of the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, had on Sunday March 3, 2024 announced a 90-day window for regularizing import duties on specific categories of vehicles.
An initiative that applies solely to vehicles imported into Nigeria where the requisite customs duty has not been fulfilled or vehicles detained due to undervaluation.
Meanwhile, on nonchalant attitude of smugglers who provoke Officers with the use of ammunition, Comptroller Ejibunu enjoined officers to always let the rule of engagement be the last resort.
In his words, “we have informed our officers to be Civil, and that is why we have been making seizures seamlessly, when people harass us, we let them go without any form of attack because if we retaliate, the Public start condemning Customs without saying that of the offenders. Only when Officers’ lives are at risk, should they deploy the Rules of Engagement.
“And I’m using this medium to tell Nigerians that we are Civil, organized Unit, my Officers are well trained and have been informed never to respond to any verbal attack from anybody in as much their lives is not at risk. The moment your life is safe, not at risk, who ever come to attack should be allowed to go. My Officers do their jobs professionally,” he said.
