The Federal Government has declared a state of emergency at the Onne Port in Rivers State. According to the government, the declaration was made after it witnessed the importation of dangerous weapons and cargo from the port.
The state of emergency will last for the next three months, and emergency protocols at Onne Port will be immediately implemented. The protocol will include the intensive examination of all containers suspected to have contained dangerous products.
The new decision was announced by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, at a press conference on Wednesday in Rivers State, where the service unveiled the seizures of illicit goods by Nigeria Customs Service, Area 2 command, Onne, in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Comptroller-General explained that the incident that has continued to happen in the port has been a major threat to the lives and property as well as the security of the nation. He said it was disheartening that the port was being used as a destination for illegal importations.
While speaking, he announced that he had joined other stakeholders to inaugurate the upgraded facilities provided by the West Africa Container Terminal, Onne. He explained that it was a significant step in the cause of trade facilitation.
The expressed the satisfaction that the trade facilitation was getting traction in Onne Port. He noted that the constant breaches of security at the portis worth turning attention to. He expined that the security concerns were part of concerns for National security.
He explained that “As we are all aware, the policy thrust of Mr President supports the re-energising of our business environment to drive faster import clearance and grow our capacity for exports. Our emphasis has been on promoting initiatives that speak to trade facilitation and economic development.
He criticised the activities of criminals who have continued to leverage the easy supply chain in the country by committing atrocities that have been a threat to national security. He specifically wondered about the international supply chain that has been against the country by leveraging on the new processes negatively.
He explained that the declaration of a state of emergency at the port was necessitated by the various incidents that were witnessed, which led to the seizures of various containers that have continued to exhibit threats to the nation’s security. He further noted that the decision was reached after the service sized a huge cache of arms a couple of months ago.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the perpetrators who have been resilient in their illegal activities. A recent intelligence, according to him, has shown a worrisome trend; he noted that the Onne port was constantly witnessing the arrival of dangerous cargo, which is a threat to the health of the citizens and the security of the nation.
Speaking on the seizures made by the command officers, the Comptroller-General explained that the officers who have been diligent in their activities in the past months have successfully apprehended twelve containers of illicit goods. The apprehension was successful after adequate intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and adequate physical examination.
The items that were displayed, according to him, were One 40-feet container which contains 4,800 pairs of military/paramilitary camouflage rain boots and 67,320 pairs of various rubber footwear; the duty paid value of the container was put at N923,040,000. Three 40-feet containers with 562,600 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine and 3,150 pieces of chilly cutters, with a DPV of N4,716,573,846.
Other items seized were three 40-feet containers with 380,000 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 24,480,000 tablets of Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride, 5,350,000 tablets of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, and other items with DPV of N17,432,506,000.
Adeniyi disclosed that the officers had collected containers with the DPV of N8, 128,568,295,90. The containers include Five 40-feet containers; Containing 892,400 bottles s of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 1,300,000 tablets of 50mg Really Extra Diclofenac, 7,250,000 tablets of 5mg Trodol Benzhexol, and other items.
He disclosed that the recent seizure of the 12 containers had brought the duty-paid value of the intercepted containers to a staggering N3I,200,688,142. He commended the officers, noting that the operation shows the level of vigilance, intelligence gathering and adequate networking by other security agencies in the Area 2 Command.
He noted that the concerns from the illegal activities were not only a problem for the customs but also for all the citizens of the country as the issue affected national security. He called on all patriotic Nigerians to help the service in every way possible with adequate intelligence about all the individuals that are behind the illegal act.
He noted that adequate information was critical in the prevention of potential national problems, which is the major reason for the implementation of the emergency protocols at Onne Port.
He disclosed that the service will conduct adequate exercises in imported containers in the next three months, starting with adequate examination. He noted that for any container that the owners failed to come for verification, the service will open it to verify what it contains. He explained that the exercise would not stay forever because it was important to restore the integrity the port had had in the past years.
He assured the business owners that the measure would not disrupt the business process of legitimate business owners and importers; he noted that the process was only aimed at creating a safer environment for legitimate businesses to progress and prosper. He said that the officers would work around the clock to ensure the clearance of legitimate goods in time.
He noted that the customs will collaborate with the other security agencies in the county to ensure that all other individuals who will continue with the business of illegal importation are arrested and charged with adequate law when found guilty.
Adeniyi commended all the officers attached to the Onne Command for the level of dedication and strict supervision of all activities in their jurisdiction.
He concluded by noting that the NCS will continue to show their strength in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities by preventing all acts of smuggling and the illegal importation of harmful goods in the country.
