Buhari, Customs boss Ali head for Turkey to stop illegal arms smuggling into Nigeria

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- President Muhammadu Buhari and the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali would visit Turkey over the proliferation of arms smuggling in the country

- Customs had last month announced the seizure of illegal of 2,671 pump action riffles from Turkey into Nigeria

- The Deputy Comptroller-General, Aminu Dangaladima, said the meeting would be centred on how to permanently end deadly importation coming from Turkey

President Muhammadu Buhari and the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) are billed to head for Turkey for a sideline bilateral meeting with the Turkish Customs authority.

The Nation reports that the Deputy Comptroller-General, Aminu Dangaladima, said the meeting is aimed at permanently ending deadly importation coming from Turkey.

The Turkish ambassador to Nigeria, Halal Cakil on September 26, had vowed that his country would fish out the criminals behind the shipping of illegal arms to Nigeria.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, October 13, Dangaladima said: “Let me seize this opportunity to impromptu you that we are making progress on investigation in the illegal arms importation.

“More arrests have been made and the CGC will be on the entourage of Mr. President to Turkey for sideline bilateral meeting with the Turkish Customs Authority.

“This is with the aim to permanently deal and put an end to such deadly importation coming from Turkey.”

He revealed that on October 10, the NCS operatives seized 27 Toyota Hilux pick-up vehicles worth N432 million. He added: “On Wednesday 10th October, 2017, based on credible intelligence, operatives of the NCS Compliance Team went to two open car stands along Kubwa expressway in the Federal Capital Territory and evacuated 27 Toyota Hilux pick-up vehicles suspected to be smuggled into the country. These vehicles have estimated Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N432,000,000 million.”

He urged the owners of the vehicles to come forward with valid Customs clearance documents otherwise they will be liable to seizure and subsequent forfeiture to the federal government in-line with laws of the land.

Dangaladima recalled that last month, Ali, while briefing on interception of 18 exotic vehicles , 18 of which were bullet proof said that the service under his leadership will enforce the powers given in the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) effectively.

He said that being in possession of smuggled items is an offence under Section 3 of Customs and Excise Act Cap 47 Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004.

Continuing, he said that “under the on-going reforms has continued to improve in all aspect, especially in the areas of suppression of smuggling.

He insisted that: “the idea that one can comply with laws of other countries and contravene Nigerian laws on arrival here can no longer be tolerated.”