…Michael Ugbagu takes over
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone “C” has announced the contraband seizures of N7,577,259,390.00 between January 25th, 2023 and April 19th, 2024.
Outgoing Comptroller Kayode Kolade disclosed this in a farewell message while handing over to his successor and new Comptroller of the Unit, Mr Michael Ugbagu.
Kayode thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs; Adewale Adeniyi, MFR and his entire management team, for the trust and confidence bestowed on him to serve as Comptroller FOUC and for replacing Ugbagu, “a thorough enforcement guru.
“I am grateful to the Comptroller-General of Customs; Adewale Adeniyi, MFR and his entire management team, for the trust and confidence bestowed on me from January 25th 2023 to April 19th 2024 as I hand the affairs of this unit to another amiable Comptroller Michael Ugbagu, who is also a thorough enforcement guru”.
He thanked unit officers for their unparalleled support, commitment, dedication, handwork and prayers, adding that their support was the reason for his successes.
“With all your support and cooperation, the Unit within my tenure was able to make substantial and spectacular seizures; totalling 198 seizures with a duty paid value of only N7,577,259,390 derived from five sacks of Pangolin scales weighing 413.1kg worth N523,356,390; 1,813 bags of 50KG each of
foreign parboiled rice worth N105, 105,000.00;
815 SACKS of Cannabis Sativa weighing 17,950KG and 2,935 PARCELS (1KG EACH) weighing 2,935kg (TOTALING 20,885KG) worth N1,670,800,000.00.
Other seizures and their breakdown are as shown:
- DSP/CMC cough syrup with codeine
31 Cartons containing 3,600 bottles
N21,600,000.00
52 units including 3 armored vehicles, N4,275,000,000.00, explosive devices
9 sacks 50kg of explosive materials/superpower 90 substance/ cables N12,990,000
+ security implication, used clothing/ shoes
1,807 jumbo bales, 48 sacks of used shoes,
N451,750,000.00, N4,800,000.00
5. unregistered/expired medicaments,
955 cartons of expired/various brands, including tramadol, N238,750,000.00,
used pneumatic tyres, 6,457 PIECES
N96,855,000.00 for foreign spaghetti, 364 cartons at N7,280,000.00, 4,693 cartons, and foreign tomato paste at N234,650,000. OIL
He added that although FOUC is not a revenue-generating unit, under his watch and based on interventions to checkmate the activities of fraudulent agents at the seaports, lots of lost revenues were recovered to N155,819,714.00. within his 15 months in office.
Comptroller Kayode also reconstructed and equipped a clinic at the Unit’s office, in Owerri, where officers and Men, as well as members of the host community, enjoy free health care services administered by the unit’s qualified medical personnel.
In addition, to ensure a healthy work-life balance, he carved out a spacious office for sports activities with fully installed gym equipment where officers and men can exercise.
He called on everyone to extend the same support and cooperation to his successor, Comptroller Micheal Ugbagu as he pilots the unit affairs and wished him well.
“I wish you well my brother. You will succeed and your legacies will be felt as well “, he said.
In his response, Comptroller Michael Ugbagu thanked the CGC and his entire management team for bestowing him with the mandate to oversee the affairs of FOUC.
He thanked Comptroller Kolade for his “highly commendable “ achievements while he held sway and pledged continued compliance with established guidelines.
“We will ensure compliance with the current import and export guidelines using intelligence and technology to drive our operations.
“There will be watertight security against smuggling activities across the zone. Smugglers will be discouraged, frustrated and made uncomfortable, making smuggling, duty evasion and warehousing of smuggled goods unattractive within the zone “, he said.
He called for support and cooperation from the media and the general public to enable him to carry out his new assignment.
