JBPT Report For The Year 202
The Coordinator of Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) SECTOR 3 Ag. ACG Olugboyega Peters pss (+) dSS, welcomed everyone to January- December, 2022 Media Briefing on Scorecard of JBPT
As you are well aware, the Nigeria Customs Service follows the law just like all other agencies involved, including ONSA, NIA, DSS, NPF, Nigeria Immigration, and the Nigerian Army. The Customs and Excise Management Act Cap C45 LFN 2004 (CEMA), as amended, which empowers officers with reference to Section 8 – Customs officers to have Power of Police officers; Section 46 – Power of forfeiture of goods improperly imported; Section 150 – Power to Search persons; Section 158 – Power to patrol freely; and Section 167 provision as to detention, seizures, and condemnation of goods; among other provisions as guaranteed by the Act
In the early hours of Wednesday, November 23, 2022, our operatives deployed to the Suleja axis of Niger State, while on routine patrol, intercepted a Toyota land cruiser Jeep with registration number KUJ 570 MB from Abuja heading to Kaduna. This was done in accordance with Section 149 of the Constitution, which allows Customs officers to search vehicles and ships. The agents asked the passengers to provide the vehicle’s customs documents. The two (2) passengers who were unable to show any identification got out of the car and pretended to be calling the owner before taking off running into the bush and leaving the car. Our operatives became suspicious because of this.
Gentlemen of the press, I want to assure you that once the customs duty of the said vehicle is produced by the owner and confirmed to be genuine, the sector will hand over the vehicle to Nigeria Police Force for further investigations and theft clarification
During the period under review, Sector 3 has intercepted a total of three (3) stolen vehicles. Namely; Lexus RX 350 without number plate sized around Benue axis, Toyota Yaris with Registration Number BEN-59-EZ apprehended around Lokoja Axis of the Sector and Toyota land cruiser jeep intercepted at Suleja axis as earlier mentioned.
It is worthy of note that Sector 3 during the period, successfully recorded (187) One Hundred and Eighty Seven seizures with a duty paid value of Three Hundred and two Million five Hundred and ninety Thousand two Hundred and fifty two Naira (N 302, 590, 252.00)
Here is the breakdown of the seized goods:
2,052 Bags of Foreign Parboiled Rice (50 kg each) an average of 4 trailer load
4,598 liters of PMS (Petrol)
40 drums of 800 liters of Diesel
28 units of used Vehicles
16 units of Motorcycle (Means of Conveyance)
11 kegs of Vegetable oil (25 liters each)
102 bales of Secondhand clothing
19 Sacks of 2166 Pairs of Used Shoes
427 Wraps of Cannabis sativa
4 packet of Tramadol (200 pieces each) of 120mg
90 Pieces of Used tyres
39 cartons tomato paste
From the records above, Sector 3 at different times seized 109, 350 liters of PMS in Jerri cans which are equivalent to over three tanker loads at 33,000 liters of petroleum par tanker.
I want to take advantage of this chance to caution the risk-takers who still plan to smuggle illegal, restricted, and prohibited products or engage in human trafficking and other illegal activities. There will be nowhere for them to hide as a result of the sector’s new patrol techniques, which are in accordance with the Presidential decree against criminals determined to undermine the nation’s economy.
On a sadder note, on October 21, 2022, while officers were returning to headquarters with the seized rice and PMS from Sinau-Kenu Road in Baruten LGA of Kwara, a group of hoodlums ambushed them and attacked them with stones, bottles, cutlasses, sticks, charms, guns, and other dangerous objects in Igboho town of Orelope Local Government of Oyo State. Three (3) of our officers suffered life-threatening injuries and later recovered after a prolonged hospital stay, while one of our officers, ASCI Saheed Aweda, succumbed to the cold hands of death (may his lovely spirit rest in peace).
This pattern of unjustified attacks by anonymous cowards who want to terrorize law enforcement officers will not go unpunished. It also won’t make our officers and soldiers less determined to carry out their statutory obligations.
I want to emphasize unequivocally that despite the unjustified attacks, we will carry out the anti-smuggling campaign. The Sector wants to use this platform to urge parents and guardians to warn their children against interfering with our operatives’ ability to carry out their legal obligations because the Sector will not hesitate to use appropriate force in accordance with the rules of engagement, leaving our Officers no choice but to defend themselves in the interest of the country.
Let me conclude on a note of thanks. I would like to, first of all, thank the Comptroller General of Customs and the management team for giving me the opportunity to serve in this position and for the confidence reposed in me.
I want to extend my sincere gratitude to my management team, the ONSA, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the NIA, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Army, and the DSS for your patience and assistance during this time. You were all fantastic and gave your all.
We are grateful to the civic leaders and other governmental organizations who have cared about and worked with the Sector to make our operations successful.
