Lagos Airport Customs Command generates N22.5bn in seven months

The Murtala Muhammed Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service says it has raked in N22.5 billion from January to July this year.
The command’s Comptroller, Mr Folorunso Adegoke, said on Tuesday in Lagos that the highest revenue figure of N5.2 billion was recorded in July.
The revenue was an improvement over the N18 billion recorded in the corresponding period in 2014.
“From January 1, 2014 to July 2015, the figure has been showing a steady rise apart from the drop that we had during the election period.
“This was because a lot of people thought Nigeria was going to divide and there would not be any Nigeria after the election but thank God we are still in one piece. Apart from that time, our revenue has been going up,’’ Adegoke said.
He noted that the July revenue was the highest since the inception of the command.
“We had about N5.2 billion. This is the highest that has ever been generated by any comptroller in this command.
He said necessary checks had been put in place to monitor cargo clearing.
Adegoke said:“The operators have been told that the music has changed, the dancing steps have also changed.’’
He said several meetings had been held between the terminal operators and the customs management to ensure sanity in the system and correct payment of import duty.
“We held meeting with the terminal operators and asked them to work with us; if they allow these people to take away their goods without payment of duty, we would collect the duty from them.
“They are now cautious and have been cooperating with us.
“They (terminal operators) are supposed to collect their own terminal charges after duty must have been paid. Anytime there is any Airway bill that is not utilised they know who to deliver the bill to. We pick them and ask them to come and account for it.’’