Smugglers are reportedly adopting new measures to sidestep government’s crackdown on importation of vehicles through the land borders despite the existing ban, Daily Trust investigation has shown.
Between January and November 2023, smugglers forfeited to the federal government about 533 units of vehicles valued at close to N3 billion.
The vehicles were seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) while being smuggled into Nigeria.
The federal government had in December 2016 banned the import of all new and used vehicles through the country’s land borders.
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The ban was a follow up of a presidential directive restricting all vehicle imports to the nation’s seaports. The ban took effect from January 1, 2017.
Following the directive, importers of vehicles through the land borders were also requested to utilise the grace period until December 31, 2016, in order to remove their vehicle imported through neighbouring ports.
Similarly, between 2015 and 2017, the service intercepted a total of 3,665 units of vehicles with duty paid value of N13.164 billion.
A breakdown of the vehicles seized in 2015, according to data obtained by our correspondent, showed that the Service seized about 1,917 units of vehicles with duty paid value of N3.856bn; while 1,483 others valued at N2.683bn were seized in 2016.
The data also showed that in 2017, a total number of 265 vehicles were seized with duty paid value of N6.625bn. About 15 of them were bulletproof vehicles.
A breakdown of the various seizures by some units of the Service showed that in 2017, the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A announced a single seizure of 34 new and used vehicles.
Specifically on January 11, 2017, the same Unit intercepted and impounded a Range Rover SUV, which carried documents that claimed its chassis number was “SALGV3TFEA190243”.
The duty paid value of the vehicle then was put at N298 million.
The Nigeria Customs Service, Kano/Jigawa Area Commands, also seized 20 Toyota Hilux vehicles in Kano with a total duty paid value of N100m in 2018.
Worried by the trend, the federal government in 2021 said 40 per cent of smuggled vehicles that find their way into the country were stolen.
This is aside from the fact that 45 per cent of the vehicles that enter the country were smuggled annually.
To address this menace, the government launched the pilot phase of the new National Vehicle Registry (VERG) automated gateway portal in Lagos State.
It was intended to increase national revenue, curb smuggling and other criminal activities.
Shedding lights on the activities of smugglers, the Acting Controller, FOU Zone A, Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu, told our correspondent that ingenious concealment is an activity that plays a significant role in smuggling operations.
He said it allows smugglers to hide illicit goods from detection by concerned authorities.
“It is important to note that smuggling is illegal and a crime that has negative social, economic, and security implications.
“It is our resolve to continuously work hard to improve detection methods with the aid of intelligence. The strategic deployment of officers with intelligence in anti-smuggling operations led to the arrest of 13 smuggled vehicles,” he added
Ejibunu further said despite investing about $1bn to revamp the industry, the Nigerian automobile industry has continued to underperform despite having the largest market in Africa.
National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, confirmed that 533 units of vehicles with duty Paid Value of N2,919, 036, 995.00 were stolen.
Maiwada in response to our correspondent said: “Number of vehicles seized from January to November 2023 are 533 Units. The Duty Paid Value of seized vehicles stood at N2,919, 036, 995.00.”
An auto dealer and Chairman Theo Motors, Mr. Theo Olaniran, while providing an insight into why some people would prefer to smuggle in their cars said, “It is simple, government Duty is not too favourable and not making auto business in Nigeria attractive.
Chairman Berger Auto Dealers Association, Chief Metche Nnadiekwe, while distancing his members from activities of smuggling, urged the government to reduce the import duty and levy imposed on imported vehicles.
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