From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State Customs Area Controller, Kebbi Area Command, Comptroller Hafiz Kalla has handed over Six hundred and thirty two (632) parcels of 1kg each of Cannabis popularly known as Indian hemp, and two (2) small sacks containing 199 Sachets of 1000 pieces each of Diazepam 5mg tablets to the State Commander, NDLEA Kebbi State Command at the Command Headquarters in Birnin Kebbi.
In a Press Statement issue by the spoke man of the command Nasiru Manga said that the Area Controller, noted that the handing over was a directive from the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali Rtd. in the spirit of inter agency collaboration, stated that the items were intercepted by the gallant officers and men of his Command in collaboration with other units of the service based on intelligence.
“The Duty Paid Value of the items stands at twenty two million, thirteen thousand, four hundred and sixty nine naira (N22, 013, 469)”, he said.
The Area Controller expressed his men determination to not only combat smuggling of goods injurious to the nation’s economy, but also to fight against importation of any drugs capable of spelling doom for the youths, which he said were the targets of the illicit drugs.
He further disclosed that the Command’s achievement in anti smuggling activities which he said has from January to date recorded forty seven (47) seizures of assorted items including a recent seizure of a truck loaded with seven hundred and fifty one (751) bags of 50kg of foreign rice concealed under sacks of onions.
“The Duty Paid Value of all the items stands at fifty one million, seven hundred and fifty five thousand, five hundred and seventy seven naira (N51, 755, 577)” he added.
Equally, a sum of N3million and nine thousand naira (N3, 009,000) was also generated as fees from auction sales of inflammable items and scraps within the period.
In his remark, the State Commander, NDLEA, Kebbi State Command, Mr Peter Odaudu commended Kebbi Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service for the feat and the synergy it exhibited, adding that combating drug abuse and use of illicit drugs was not for the law enforcement alone, but everybody’s responsibility.
Speaking in the same vein, the Special Adviser to Kebbi State Governor, Major Garba Rabiu Kamba Rtd. appreciated the effort made by the Command in arresting the dangerous drugs and commended all security outfits in the State for the existing synergy between them in combating crime in the State.
