The Nigeria Customs Service has reportedly released a bullion van belonging to the Abeokuta branch of Access Bank, which was previously intercepted for smuggling bags of foreign parboiled rice into the country.
The bullion van, seized two years ago, was released on Friday by the Controller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Comptroller Adewale Adeniyi, with the duty carried out by the Customs Controller of the Ogun II Command in the Customs office in Abeokuta.
The bullion van, with registration number FKJ 993 BZ, had been detained for the past 22 months at the Customs’ House in Abeokuta.
It was released along with a total sum of N24,489,500, which the vehicle was conveying from one of its branches in the border axis to the Abeokuta headquarters before being involved in smuggling bags of rice.
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According to Customs Controller for Ogun II Area Command, Comptroller Bisi Alade, the bullion van was intercepted by the Joint Border Patrol Team while conveying contraband foreign parboiled rice at the Olorunda axis of the Sokoto-Ijoun/Joga expressway in the Abeokuta North Local Government Area in April 2022.
The rice was concealed in the vehicle under the guise of transporting the nation’s currency to its headquarters in Abeokuta.
The released funds, over N24.489 million, were reportedly deposited at the Abeokuta branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Alade stated that three suspects arrested in connection with the seizure had been charged to court and were currently under administrative bail.
The release of the bullion van followed an appeal by the bank to the NCS’ Controller General, Adeniyi.
In compliance with the provisions of Section 248 (1) and (2) of the NCS Act 2023, Adeniyi approved the release of the vehicle and money, while the contraband rice was converted to a seizure in line with Section 168 of the Customs Act 2023.
The Ogun II NCS Controller, Alade, emphasized the commitment of the service to its core mandate of revenue generation.
He reported that the command generated over N2.042 billion in revenue for the month of November 2023, with a total revenue for the year standing at over N21.657 billion.
Alade also decorated 18 newly promoted officers at the Ogun II Customs service.
He advised the promoted officers to see their new positions as a call to duty and to use them judiciously by working hard and representing the Nigeria Customs well while relating to the public.
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