Jutha Gupah Maiduguri
The Comptroller of Nigerian Customs Services (NCS) in Borno and Yobe
states, Angbalaga Joshua has said that “security challenges and bad
roads” have stifled the generation of revenues and border patrols in
13 stations with Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
The opened Gambouru, Baga and Damasak roads by the military are
however; insecure for motorists and NCS personnel to generate revenues
and for effective border patrols at the border entry points.
Joshua disclosed this on Tuesday, at a news conference on the Security
Challenges of Customs to meet revenue targets at the Customs House,
Maiduguri.
He said because of the security challenges caused by eight-year Boko
Haram insurgency, the business community lost 13 vehicles, with the
destruction of millions of naira worth of merchandises and products.
“The security challenges have forced us to conservatively peg our
annual revenue target at N62 million. But as insecurity lingers on
roads and border areas with Chad, Niger and Cameroon, revenue
generation marginally increased to N75 million,” said Joshua.
He said despite the security challenges, the Borno and Yobe States
Command, is expected to generate N100 million by end of this year.
On overcoming security challenges to raise revenue targets, he said:
“We’re equal to the task of doubling these revenue targets, if the
military could give clearance for our personnel to move into the 13
borders stations with neighbouring countries.
“The opened roads should not only be declared safe by the military,
but they should be fixed for commuting and haulage of goods and other
merchandise to border areas and Central African Republic.”
He noted that despite security challenges, Customs was able to
intercept and seize large quantity of Indian hemp, imported used tyres
and 100 bags of rice in the Kanama-Geidam axis in Yobe state.
He said that because of security challenges, only few officers are
manning the Gambouru border station in Borno, while the Geidam border
station in Yobe is functional
