Customs intercepts 1,700 bags of charcoal valued at N9.5m

Officials of the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) Strike Force, Zone A, recently impounded 1,700 bags of charcoal meant for export.

Speaking on the seizure, the Controller of Zone A, Ahmadu Shuaibu, put the value of the seizure at about N9.5m.

• PODCAST: Is It Possible To Build Walls Along Nigerian Borders?
• Nigeria set to implement $750m W/Bank COVID-19 intervention

Shuaibu, while showcasing the seizure at the Nigeria Customs Export Terminal in Ikorodu, said the bags of charcoal were confiscated from a warehouse in Apapa, Lagos State.

He said wood and its derivatives were barred by law from export, explaining that the move was to stop desertification and save the country’s echo system.

He explained that, “Erosion, desertification and land degradation are some of the challenges faced by the people as a result of the indiscriminate felling of trees. The act of felling trees in the name of charcoal and timber is a threat to the community.”