The Nigeria Customs Service, according to Col. Hammed Ali, Comptroller General, has sacked more than 2,000 officers so far for a variety of serious offenses and will continue to work to strengthen border security and put an end to the tide of banditry and smuggling activities close to Nigerian borders and entry points.
The Comptroller General of the Service made the announcement at the 54th State House Media Briefing on Thursday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
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Col. Hammed Ali, admitted that corruption has also been one of the biggest hindrance to shoring up revenue for the country, but said under his watch, the Nigeria customs have equally identified and dismissed more than 2,000 officers implicated in cases of graft, and other related offences.
The Comptroller General said the customs service will ensure increased partnership with both military and paramilitary agencies to protect the borders and block leakages by ensuring that there are electronic scanners to check imports into the country.
The Nigeria customs saddled with the responsibility of revenue generation and tackling anti-smuggling activities has already generated 2.1 trillion naira so far, but still hopes to achieve its target of 3 trillion naira for this year.
Col. Ali said restructuring, reforms and improved revenue generation are key factors responsible for the impressive performance of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The customs service also looks forward to the inauguration of their newly constructed corporate headquarters by President Buhari later this year.