…as N180bn patrol boats stay idle

Following Federal Government’s decision to keep the nation’s borders closed indefinitely, die-hard smugglers are beating men and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service to their duties by taking advantage of porous waterways and creeks to intensify their illegal trade.

Findings by New Telegraph revealed that the daring action by the criminals is made possible as the new patrol boats acquired by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at a whopping cost of N180 billion are yet to function properly.

Currently, the service is facing inadequate patrol boats to combat the illegalities at Port Novo, Gbaji, Badagry, Yewa, Ologe, and Commodore creeks.

It was gathered that unscrupulous businessmen and women have been exploiting the loopholes to smuggle goods since the closure of the borders.

The borders were closed in August 20, 2019 by the Federal Government to curtail influx of fake goods and arms smuggling.

However, the service has not recorded much success on the waterways because of the dangerous and sophisticated weapons used by smugglers.

The gun boats are presently redundant as they have not been adequately fitted with the necessary surveillance and combat kits and guns.

An official within the NCS’s Western Marine Command, who does not want his name mentioned, said that smuggling of fuel products through the sea was on the increase, noting that tankers were no longer carrying fuels to border communities where the products are smuggled to neighbouring Benin Republic with jerry cans.

Notwithstanding, he explained that Customs had trained some officer on sea smuggling combat both in the western and eastern commands, saying that insufficient equipment was the main problems of the command.

“This has put the service’s marine command under unbearable pressure to combat the illegal traders using the creeks and lagoon to smuggle banned imports,” he stressed.

When the joint border exercise was launched, the Customs Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), said that the two gunboats would strengthen anti-smuggling activities on the nation’s waters and enhance the ongoing joint border closure exercise.

He added that with the boats, the marine operatives of NCS could now sail to intersect smugglers right on the high sea.

The Controller in charge of the command, Comptroller Boyiliya Binga, advised the unscrupulous traders last month to stop the illegal trade, saying that with new patrol boats acquired by the service, days of confrontation by smugglers were over.

He said: “We have been making pleas to these smugglers to stop their evil trade and engage in meaningful businesses that will benefit them and the country, but they are determined to go ahead with their nefarious activities.”

Binga listed the seizures made in the period to include 433 bags of 50kilogrammes foreign parboiled rice, bags of second-hand clothes, bags of second-hand shoes, buffalo horns, bales of foreign fabrics, bales of mobile police, immigration and navy uniforms, machetes, tramadol and 3,000 empty kegs.

The comptroller general had said earlier that smugglers would no longer take advantage of NCS vulnerability on water to smuggle in contraband with the launch of the new patrol vessels.

https://www.newtelegraphng.com/2019/12/border-closure-customs-lose-battle-to-waterway-smugglers/

If customs had lived up to expectations, border closure will have been unnecessary in the first instance

This is the result of trying to solve problem in an analogue way.

Border closure is the dumbest idea and initiative of this government.

The northern borders are active, as affirmed by Buhari's senator, yet he wants the borders down south to be closed.

One Nigeria indeed.

Interesting times..

Imagine sophisticated weapon by smugglers,................ which way NIGERIA.


the outdated gunboats acquired by custom is redundant, why buying old and outdated machine when you know it cant serve the purpose. or was it to just spend the money on something.

You can't always run from reality;

There's hunger in the land!

There's unemployment!

There's insecurity!

You can't fight these with mere propaganda, that's the reality that has just begun!

People will always devise means to fight that on their own, that's just the truth!


There's more to come, hope you're prepared?

Meanwhile there are hundreds of patrol boats rotting in various warehouses around the country

Penny wise, pound foolish.

Porous border everywhere
If nigerias border were to be a goal keeper, it will be daniel Akpeyi, or de gea.

This is called software upgrade.

Zoogeria we hail thee

If they caught, they should simple throw them into the waters!

Lobatan

Water no get enemy, if you want fight those guys in the water you go die.
My problem is fuel, stop the imposition now.

clarocuzioo:
This is the result of trying to solve problem in an analogue way.

Bother closure is the dumbest idea and initiative of this government.

The northern borders are active, as affirmed by Buhari's senator, yet he wants the borders down south to be closed.

One Nigeria indeed.

The worst of all is that, down south south, all shops selling foreign rice are raided but here in the north we even buy foreign rice from street hawkers. Very useless country and govt.

i am just tired of nigerias matter

After border there is still border ooo. Don't let news deceive you ooo. Forget all these waterway smuggling, people still smuggle through dry land, path that custom officers knows about..

Na Nigeria we dey

clarocuzioo:
This is the result of trying to solve problem in an analogue way.

Bother closure is the dumbest idea and initiative of this government.

The northern borders are active, as affirmed by Buhari's senator, yet he wants the borders down south to be closed.

One Nigeria indeed.

ONE NAIRA indeed

Lol

But some assholes said it’s the northern border that is porous.
Are there waterways and creeks in the north?

Na Abokis Full everywhere
Imagine 180Billion spend on patrol Boat
Still not in use and they will spend another Billions to service it
Nigeria which way

clarocuzioo:
This is the result of trying to solve problem in an analogue way.

Bother closure is the dumbest idea and initiative of this government.

The northern borders are active, as affirmed by Buhari's senator, yet he wants the borders down south to be closed.

One Nigeria indeed.

Ipob

Deploy Navy....

This border closure is to impoverish communities in the SW according to some traditional rulers. Here in the North it's business as usual.

All economic apparatus and heads of economic agencies are now firmly in the hands of northerners.

Warehouses in Kano have foreign rice from Niger, Cameroon and Chad, no Customs disturbing them, the Customs officers wait for southerners who bought rice in Kano to confiscate them in Lokoja or they pay huge bribes