[Mhiz Rebecca]

The Apapa Command of the Nigeria
Customs Service, NCS, has
intercepted a 40ft container of
frozen Tilapia fish imported from
Turkey and valued at N22.1 million.
The Customs Area Controller,
Comptroller Muhammad Jibrin, said
this on Monday when he led
journalists to APM Terminals, Apapa,
where the container was intercepted.
Mr. Jibrin said that the container No:
DFOU6122880, was discovered
during scanning.
He said that the importer made a
false declaration that the container
was laden with apples.
“Upon scanning, officers discovered
the container was containing 2,700
cartons of frozen tilapia fish from
Turkey.
“The aforementioned fish species is
under restriction.
“More so, importers of allowable
species of fish are expected to obtain
licence and permit before such
importation into the country.
“We have scanners that are working
but most of the scanners are
inadequate for operations,’’ Mr.
Jibrin said.
He said that the command had opened
communication with Agriculture and Plant
Quarantine Service and the National Agency for
Foods, Drugs Administration and Control
(NAFDAC), in the spirit of collaboration.
Mr. Jibrin said that the command had zero
tolerance for smuggling and false declaration in
line with the policy of the Comptroller-General of
Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Ali.
He said the command would continue to uncover
and stop any attempt at breaching the law as
regards imports and exports transactions through
the command.
The controller, however, advised stakeholders
relating with Customs service to be law-abiding
“as no stone will be left unturned in enforcing
government fiscal policy regulations’’.
According to him, the command usually engaged
stakeholders in interactive session monthly to
ensure that both Customs and stakeholders
remained committed to government’s policies
relating to clearance of goods at the ports.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the
Federal Government on Thursday, noted that
smugglers were beginning to flood the markets
with harmful frozen fish illegally imported into
the country through the land borders.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken
Lokpobiri, said this at the Abuja Headquarters of
the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, FMARD.
The minister said that those involved in the act
were undermining the efforts of government
despite the fish importation policy and ban on
frozen farmed fish importation into the country.
He said that the circulation of unhealthy fish and
fishery products in Nigerian market had resulted
in grave health implications such as kidney
disease and cancer.
“It has become necessary for the Federal
Government through the FMARD to address the
Nigerian public on the sale of smuggled unhealthy
frozen fish, especially farmed tilapia, in Nigeria.
“These smuggled frozen fish are very harmful to
the health of Nigerians” he said.
The minister warned those involved in the illegal
importation to desist, as anyone caught will be
made to face the full wrath of the law.
He said that the government had been
collaborating with countries in the Gulf of Guinea,
Nigeria Customs Service, Maritime Police,
Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Agriculture
Quarantine Service.
“The ministry is using this medium to warn all
those involved, colluding, aiding and abetting
these nefarious activities to stop or face the full
wrath of the law of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
, or both, in addition to forfeiture and destruction
of the vessel and its products.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Ministry
of Agriculture has put in place measures to
arrest, detain and prosecute offenders as provided
in the Sea Fisheries Act Cap S4 laws of the
Federation 2004,’’ the minister said.
(NAN)