Kayode ShopekanCOORDINATOR of the Nigerian Customs Zone A, Lagos, Assistant Comptroller General Modupe Aremu has informed the operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service of plans to deploy drones to Seme border to check smuggling activities
Speaking during her visit to the Seme Area Command, ACG Modupe Aremu said the Customs Service will soon deploy drones to check smuggling activities.
According to her, border management surveillance will be done electronically through the use of drones to ensure that there is an aerial overview of the border.
In her words, “Seme command visit is the end of my tour in zone A, and I must commend all the commands. They account for over 80 percent revenue collection by the NCS and so they should keep up the good work. With the tour of all commands, I have seen that all the officers are doing well but they can do better. And I am telling them that they should expect impromptu visits from the zonal coordinator. So, they should not relax on the job. Also, e-customs N300 billion contract, that is, end-to-end automation that is about to kick-off, is about information and communication technology connectivity. When it comes on board, we are going to have electronic signature drones patrolling the border”
The Coordinator, who highlighted the efforts of the service to minimise to reduce human interaction and make the efficient, asked the officers to be abreast of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol in order to understand procedures.
On enforcement activities, she urged the command to keep up the work done as the country needs the service to properly secure its borders.
She expressed hope that the scanner at the border would start functioning to help simplify processes as much as possible, while also urging the command to ensure proper compilation of case files and prosecution of arrested suspects to show the seriousness of the service in fighting smuggling.
Also speaking, Customs Area Controller, Seme Area Command, Bello Jibo, said enforcement activities were not affected by the border closure as the command intercepted 1,244 suspected smuggled goods with duty paid value of over N856 million.
He noted that the major challenges faced of the service has to do with ICT inter-connectivity at the joint border patrol, signing of bilateral agreement, connection of the barracks to the national grid, and under-staffing.
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