- As Car bomb attacks in Baghdad kill at least 90
The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ an anti smuggling arm of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Lagos recorded 481 stupendous seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N668,392,940, alongside the arrest of 42 suspects, between January and April, 2016.
“This statutory role is a compelling factor for a sustained onslaught against the saboteurs of the Nation’s Economy”, Dahiru stated, highlighting that it was on this basis that the Unit has reviewed its operational methodologies to meet up with sophisticated strategic standards which the smugglers will find extremely difficult to decode.
Providing a breakdown of the seizures, the Comptroller stated that from 481 different seizures, valued at N527,830,350, with a payable duty of N140,562,590,
“One hundred and forty one different Seizures of Rice, totalling eight thousand, one hundred and forty eight (8,148) bags of 50kg parboiled rice and fifty (50) bags of 25kg with Duty Paid Value of Fifty Three Million, One Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand, Five Hundred Naira (N53,124,500.00) Only.
“One hundred and twelve (112) different Seizures of imported Frozen Poultry Products, totalling twenty thousand, seven hundred and forty two (20,742) cartons with Duty Paid Value of One Hundred and Twelve Million, Six Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira (N112,006,800.00) Only.
“Fifty (50) different Seizures of Vegetable oil, totalling two thousand, five hundred and nineteen (2,519) kegs of 25 liters, twenty four (24) kegs of 10 liters, one hundred and forty (140) cartons of kings oil, one hundred and twenty (120) pieces, one thousand, two hundred and fifty (1,250) empty kegs with Duty Paid Value of Eighteen Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty Eight Thousand, Four Hundred Naira (N18,788,400.00) Only.
“Thirty two (32) Units of Vehicles, twelve (12) cut buses with Duty Paid Value of Eighty Seven Million, Two Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira (N87,210,000.00) Only.
“One hundred and forty eight (148) different Seizures of General Merchandise comprising new & used textile materials, new & used foot wears, mosquito insecticide, spaghetti noodles, various soap & detergent, used tyres, narcotics, compressors, hard drugs, Indian hemp etc with Duty Paid Value of Three Hundred and Ninety Seven Million, Two Hundred and Sixty Three Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty Naira (N397,263,240.00) Only”, he indicated further, highlighting a comparative analysis of the corresponding period of 2015, which showed that the Command recorded 628 different Seizures with a Duty Paid Value of N428,664,404.00
“Smuggling, just like scavenging is a global menace and countries all over the world are constantly strategizing on how to suppress it in their domain, using various methods. In view of this, the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’, have keyed into the various strategies, including the use of ICT in gathering intelligence amongst others”, Mohammed Dahiru concluded.
In the meantime, a string of car bomb attacks across Baghdad has killed at least 90 people, making it the Iraqi capital’s deadliest day this year.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the largest blast, at a marketplace in the Shia neighbourhood of Sadr City, which killed at least 63 people.
Two other blasts targeted the Shia neighbourhoods of Kadhimiya, in the north of the city, the site of one of the main Shia Islamic shrines, and Hurriya.
Despite the resurgence of Isis in areas outside the capital, the frequency of attacks in Baghdad has slowed over the past year. But Isis continues to demonstrate that it can still launch coordinated campaigns in sensitive areas of the city despite a massive security presence.
Iraqi officials have yet to come up with a way to stop car bombs from being driven around the city and detonated in areas that have frequently been targeted. Sadr City, a sprawling former slum area which is home to more than 1 million Shia residents, is one such area.
In recent years Sadr City has been targeted at least 110 times, according to Iraqi officials. In almost all cases the bombs were driven into the neighbourhood past an extensive system of checkpoints.
Iraqi police and soldiers continue to use British-made fake bomb detector wandsat many checkpoints across the country. The company that made them, ATSC, was dissolved in 2013, and its founder, Jim McCormick, was convicted of three counts of fraud and sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Iraqi interior ministry and military officials spent an estimated £52m on the devices. Officials still insist they work.
Isis has been pushed back from areas to the south and north of Baghdad, which are now dominated by Shia militias, who work alongside the Iraqi military and often have primacy over them. Isis is also on the back foot west of Baghdad, which had been a hotbed of Sunni militancy for more than a decade.
The terror group has repeatedly pledged to continue to target civilians across Iraq, especially members of the Shia sect. It has said it draws no distinction between them and security forces.
Iraq’s government believes the group retains an organised presence in Baghdad, with a network of sleeper cells that recruit and train suicide bombers such as the militant who targeted Sadr City in the latest strike. Officials believe the suicide devices and car bombs are assembled inside the city.
The Guardian has spoken with captured Isis members who have previously been responsible for explosions in some of the areas targeted on Wednesday. One of the men, Abu Abdullah, who was formerly second in charge of the group inside Baghdad, said he had personally sent 15 suicide bombers on missions between 2011 and 2013, and had no regrets about his actions.
Additional report from Guardian
