The Ogun State Area Command of the Nigerian Customs Service said on Wednesday that it has reduced the numbers of checkpoints manned by personnel of the service.
The New Controller of the command, Michael Ojobo Agbara, disclosed this to newsmen in Idiroko while parading the seizures made by the command in the last two weeks of his resumption into office.
He said the effort was geared towards achieving one of the core functions of the service and to passionately key into the federal government executive order on ease of doing business.
The controller revealed that the officers and men earlier manning the removed checkpoints have been redeployed to the hinterlands in order to reinforce the might of other officers.
He added that he has visited and held critical meeting with stakeholders including colleagues in Benin Republic, traditional rulers and other sister security agencies towards promoting synergy geared at effective and efficient service delivery.
The command also intercepted 3, 041 bags of bags of foreign rice suspected to have been smuggled, and 99 packs of Indian hemp within two weeks.
Agbara, who was flanked by other officers at the Command, also said within the period under review, 295 kegs of smuggled vegetable oil, 221 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), 24 smuggled secondhand vehicles and 28 bags of sugar were also seized.
While still talking about the command’s breakthrough in the last two weeks, he added that three bales of secondhand clothes were also intercepted.
He said four suspects were arrested in connection with the smuggling of various prohibited items, noting that one of them has been charged to court.
Agbara, who assumed leadership at the Command on April 17, 2018 said the seizures were made in its areas of coverage in Abeokuta and Idiroko axis.