Because Ogun State shares boundary with the French-speaking Republic of Benin, the area apparently appears to be a very dynamic and welcoming environment in view of the land border through the existence of series of unapproved border routes, which tend to have increased smuggling activities. This has necessitated the Ogun arm of Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) determination to confront and drastically reduce to the barest minimum these anti-progressive economic activities.
The Nigeria Customs Service seems to be committed to discovering, nurturing as well as growing stakeholders in the various relevant sectors of the nation’s economy, thereby fostering sustainable development and dependable trade internationally.
Internationally, smuggling is classified as a social, economic and political vice. It is, therefore, detested based on its destructive and sabotaging tendencies. The Nigeria Customs Service, which is an indigenous international trade regulator, facilitator and dependable revenue earner for the Federal Government has among its onerous responsibilities, the task of securing the nation from smugglers’ incursion into international trading activities.
Emphasising the nation’s efforts in this regard recently, the Customs Area Controller Ogun 1 Area Command, Idiroko Land Border, Comptroller Mohammed Salisu Shuaibu announced that the NCS has resolved to henceforth comprehensively neutralise smuggling activities in all its ramifications in the nation’s numerous land border routes within the Ogun 1 Command.
While assuring the people of Ogun State particularly and Nigerians generally, as well as law-abiding traders, that the Customs workforce operations were targeted at law violators only, he asserted that his administration will maintain open-door policy, work with local communities, including encouraging legitimate trade that will foster national economic development.
Martins Ikhilae, Lagos
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