How ban on poultry products increased smuggling activities

Emeka Ibemere

In recent times, the activities of smugglers have increased, geometrically compared to some years ago, when there were no restrictions on the importation of poultry products in Nigeria.

 Even as stakeholders in local farming and agricultural products are falling on themselves to commend the Nigeria activities of the Nigeria Customs Service on her onslaughts against smuggling of frozen poultry products’ ban.

 However, the ban on the poultry products is the current cause of the increased smuggling syndicates operating on Nigeria-Benin Republic routes, Kaduna- Jibya axis, and including the unofficial routes.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), recently warned against the consumption of imported or smuggled frozen poultry and meat, threatening to take action should any smugglers or dealers be found with the banned products.

NAFDAC Director General, Dr Paul Orhii, supported his warning on a study he claimed that was carried out by experts from University of Ibadan.

The imported poultry products, of chicken and turkey have been alleged to have been identified as causative agents in non- communicable diseases (NCDs) and antibiotics resistance. Some of these health conditions were included to hypertension, kidney disease, and cancer.

Despite the strong warnings, the illegal smuggling of these products have increased more than before, because the products are now costly and smugglers are smiling to the banks.

The reason according to our investigation is that the products locally produced in Nigeria are not meeting up the desired demands of the local consumers.

According to the president of the Poultry Association of Nigeria Dr Ayoola Odutan while the local demand for frozen chicken is above two million metric tonnes annually, Nigerian farmers are only able to produce 300,000 metric tonnes, leaving a wide gap of more than 1.7 million metric tonne. “Out of this figure, smuggled chicken accounts for 1.2 million metric tonnes annually.”

Dr Orhii explained that the continuous consumption of imported chicken and turkey could damage the human system on the long run, unlike poultry foods produced locally, which have been found safer for consumption.

Nigeria Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has commended the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on its battles, particularly the commitment to their cause, noting that genuine hope has now been restored to their business.

Our sources in NCS said daring poultry smugglers have now relocated to the North, in a bid to escape the onslaught in the South and South-west axis of the country.

Recently NCS launched operation ‘Hawk Descend’s which is on its fifth week and the effort has resulted in seizures of 13,960 cartons of frozen poultry, with a Duty Paid Value DPV of over N45m.

“The leadership of the Poultry Association Farmers appreciates the excellent performance through various acts of onslaught, arrests and confiscation of smuggled poultry products into the Country. This is very unprecedented, as we can boldly say that operation “Hawk Descend” is a highly successful exercise,” the group stated in their recent commendation to NCS.

Meanwhile, the Customs Service said they ended its fifth week of operations by recording seizures worth N45, 470,441, while posting a highest Duty Paid Value (DPV) since the launch of the operation last month.

A breakdown of the seizures showed that the Ogun Command impounded 6, 565 cartons with a DPV of N2,937,441.00; the FOU Zone A recorded 1,395 cartons, with a DPV  of N7,533,000.; the. FOU B (Kaduna) confiscated 6,000, with DPV of N 35,000,000; was totalling 13,960 cartons, with a DPV of N 45,470,441.

In his assessment of the seizure, the resigned Comptroller-General of Customs, (CGC), and Dikko Inde Abdullahi stated that smugglers of poultry products are now exploring routes in the Northern and Eastern parts of the Country, as the Special Operation had made life difficult for them in the South-Western flank.

He commended the Federal Operations Units in Lagos and Kaduna for their huge seizures, and put other Commands on alert, noting that the FOU Operatives in Kaduna actually apprehended two trucks conveying smuggled poultry products at Gidan Wali, along Babana border in Niger State.

Nigerian’s Customs recently signed a bilateral agreement with the Customs Administration of Benin Republic to synergize and share intelligence to boost operations along the borders.

To actualise this agreement, the Nigeria Customs Service remarkably supported Benin Customs Administration with a donation of five brand new pick-up Double Cabin Vehicles.

The outgoing Comptroller General, Dr. Dikko Inde Abdullahi enjoined Nigerians, particularly the Poultry Association of Nigeria to support the Nigeria Customs Service with relevant information in respect of frozen poultry smuggling, stressing that the war against illicit trade must be fought by everyone.

Dikko while disclosing that the Nigeria Customs Service NCS onslaught against poultry smuggling code-named “Hawk Descend” has hit N28, 660,717 in the third week of its war.

“Please give useful information and other forms of assistance that will further help the operatives to achieve the goal of completely crippling poultry smuggling into Nigeria”, he pleaded.

It was learnt the seizures consisted of 5,915 cartons of frozen poultry product, mostly conveyed in commercial vehicles, which was confiscated by Officers around the South Western area of the country which consist of Badagry Creeks, Seme axis and Idiroko axis of Ogun state.

The breakdown of the seizures: showed that the Ogun Command recorded 2,800 cartons; the Federal Operations Unit FOU impounded 2,561 cartons; the Western Marine 455 cartons, while Seme Command confiscated 99 cartons; bringing the entire seizures to a total of 5,915 cartons.

The Comptroller-General praised the efforts of the operatives, while asking the smugglers to discontinue from smuggling the prohibited products which has resulted in heavy capital losses, adding that the present government was resolute in containing their menace, as a result of the negative consequences on the economy of the nation.

Last week, the Head of Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone “C”, an anti-smuggling unit in Owerri, Comptroller Dimka, and Victor David warned that engaging in the smuggling of the contraband products may soon become the smoothest route to jail.

He gave the warning, while announcing that his command arrested 30 suspected smugglers in July, out of which, not fewer than 20 had been dragged to court, as officers and men of the command recorded a total of 48 seizures, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of  N197,385,747.00.

Dimka Victor, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) also thanked members of the public for their “boldly and courageously”  effort in availing the command of relevant information, noting that with their support, his jurisdiction, particularly the Benin/Asaba express way, Owerri/Port-Harcourt Road and Enugu axis where the seizures occurred have become smugglers dead-ends.

“In addition to the 48 seizures made last month, an under-payment of N24,246,213.00 was also recovered”, he stated, providing a breakdown  which showed 69 bales of second hand clothing, 39 vehicles, 139 pieces of used tyres, 244 pairs of used foot wears and 60 bags of 50kg rice

 “The NCS will never succumb to senseless and irrational pleadings for leniency and pardon by individuals caught in the act of smuggling,” he warned.

According to him, such consideration would amount to compromising the statutory responsibilities of the Establishment. He decried the upsurge in smuggling, despite obvious stiff penalties for culprits. Dimka is of confident that the Nigeria Customs Service would never be discouraged in its patriotic mission to bring the bane of smuggling to its barest minimum.

The officer lamented the harm being inflicted on the nation’s economy by smugglers, their sponsors and collaborators, and warned them to desist from their unholy trade, as the NCS was now better equipped, trained and motivated to tackle the scourge of smuggling with every skill and expediency, adding that those still obsessed in smuggling to be mindful of the fact that the shady deal had brought sorrows and grief to those arrested and their families.

As that wasn’t enough, Special Task Force of the Comptroller General of Customs (CG Task Force) on last week, Wednesday swooped on Tokunbo car smugglers in Ogun State, impounded at least, three state of the art cars, one of them, a 2014 Range Rover.

The incident took place at Oju-Ore area of Ota in the Ado-Odo/Ota local government area of Ogun State but later developed into a gun battle, after the smugglers on the advice of their leader, simply identified as Agarawu Baba, mobilized and waylaid the officers who were taking the seizure to the Federal Operations Unit in Lagos.

The smugglers was alleged to have mobilized their gang and blocked roads, and was chanting incantations and waiving of guns, cutlasses alongside other dangerous weapons by the which resulted in a gun duel, that lasted for about 40 minutes until men of the Operation MESA and men from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, rushed to the scene and allegedly brought the situation to its control.

The Customs Public Relations Officer, FOU Command, Ikeja, and Uche Ejesieme specifically confirmed that no life was lost. He said that the officers and men of the Service understood very well that they have a primary task of protecting the Nigerian life and property, even while risking their own lives, enforcing the laws of the land.