House of Reps Committee Lauds Customs Zone C for Revenue Growth, Anti-Smuggling Feats
By Bon Peters
PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: In a demonstration of its oversight responsibilities, the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise on Wednesday paid a working visit to the Nigeria Customs Service, Zone C Headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The visit provided an opportunity for Area Commands under the zone to showcase their first-quarter revenue performance, anti-smuggling operations, and other activities.
The event served as a comprehensive stocktaking exercise, as Area Controllers took turns to brief the lawmakers on their achievements in revenue generation, trade facilitation, smuggling suppression, infrastructure development, as well as challenges encountered in the course of duty.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Leke Abejide, expressed satisfaction with the presentations and outcomes of the visit. He assured that the Committee would review all submissions with a view to strengthening legislative support for improved Customs operations.
“I’m satisfied with our findings. We will go back, look into them critically, and work out modalities to generate more revenue, facilitate trade, and suppress smuggling effectively,” Abejide said. “When we talk about non-oil revenue, Customs stands out.”
Earlier, the Zonal Coordinator of Customs Zone C, Assistant Comptroller-General SK Dangaladima, welcomed the Committee and commended the officers and men of the zone for their dedication. He pledged continued cooperation with the National Assembly to ensure sustained achievements.
Comptroller Mustapha Hashim, Customs Area 1 Command, disclosed during his presentation that the command generated ₦56.1 billion in the first quarter of 2025—an increase of ₦12.5 billion or 28.6% compared to the same period in 2024. He further revealed that the command had already collected over ₦18 billion from April 1 to 22, surpassing the ₦17.4 billion generated in April 2024.
On anti-smuggling efforts, Comptroller Hashim noted that the Command has remained vigilant against illicit activities within its jurisdiction. Notably, nine packages of Tafradol 200mg tablets were seized at the NAHCO Shed of the Port Harcourt International Airport. He added that the Command also intercepted various endangered plant and animal species in line with international conventions (CITES).
In a similar vein, Comptroller Bishir Balogun of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, Owerri, reported significant enforcement successes. From March 20 to April 20, 2025, the unit recorded over 30 interceptions and more than 10 categories of seizures of uncustomed goods and prohibited substances.
Among the items seized were 2,425 pieces of used tyres, 647 bales of second-hand clothing, 2,762 rolls of satin mirror dull face fabric, 3,400 cartons of smuggled Turkish spaghetti, 25 blocks of cannabis sativa, and over 230 sacks of foreign parboiled rice. The Duty Paid Value of the seizures stood at ₦1.01 billion, while the Command also raised additional Demand Notices totaling ₦13.45 million.
Commenting on the overall performance of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Mike Ebeatu, Chairman/CEO of Microconsult Nigeria Ltd and former chairman of ANLCA Onne Seaport Chapter, supported the Service’s request for four percent of total revenue generated. He argued that Customs officers and clearing agents alike deserved compensation for their roles in enhancing national revenue.
“Agents should also benefit. Once they are properly incentivized, malpractices like under-declaration and concealment would reduce significantly,” he said.
Ebeatu also decried the poor state of road infrastructure at Eastern ports, stating that the neglect of the region’s transport network had crippled the freight forwarding business. He called for urgent development of rail connectivity to key commercial hubs such as Aba, Nnewi, and Onitsha, and recommended the deployment of more scanners and non-intrusive inspection systems to enhance clearance processes.
The event was attended by top Customs officers including Comptroller Chukwudi Ogbonna (Akwa Ibom/Calabar Command), Comptroller Chika Dim (Eastern Maritime Command), Comptroller Comfort Ukpanah (Enugu Command), Comptroller Peterson Akpan (Imo/Abia Command), and DC Ege Chukwu Sunday (Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone, Port Harcourt), among others.
