Customs seizes N73m smuggled rice, others in Katsina

The Nigeria Customs Service, Katsina Area Command, has seized goods worth over N73 million in Katsina.

The seizures, made between July 1 and August 11, 2022, include 447 bags of smuggled foreign rice with the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N12 million.

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Addressing journalists, the Controller of the command, Comptroller Dalha Wada Chedi, said considering the huge amount of resources the government had invested in the production of rice, smugglers would not be allowed to sabotage the effort.

“In Katsina alone, rice is being produced in many local government areas including Dandume, Bakori, Danja, Funtua, Faskari, Sabuwa, Mallamawa Jibia, Kurfi and Safke Dam in Mai’adua local government,” Chedi said.

He stated that in Kano, there are currently over 200 rice milling factories, adding that the command would not allow smugglers to frustrate the effort of both the government and local producers amidst the economic hardship in the country.

In the area of export, Chedi said with the opening of Jibia border in the period under review alone, goods worth over N530m were exported which include cement, hibiscus flower, chilli npepper, animals feed, tamarind and beverages among others.

He said the command had also generated a revenue of N99.77 million during the period, noting that the command witnessed a little decline compared to the previous month, due the incessant bandit attacks lately in the area.

Chedi enjoined residents of the state to take advantage of the rice farming and factories established in the state for local production and investment.