The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at Muritala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) has announced the interception of military-grade Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as drones, alongside associated military equipment on Friday.
During a chat with journalists about the command’s activities in 2023, the Customs Area Controller, Compt. Charles Orbih, disclosed that the command successfully generated N30.5 billion in revenue from January to December 2023.
Compt. Orbih provided details about the combat drones, highlighting features such as first aid box storage, weapon compartments, and a remarkable 70-hour flight capability.
Moreover, he mentioned that the command had either seized or detained another 154 drones.
Emphasizing the lack of essential End User Certificates (EUC) from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the violation of permitted specifications for entry into the country, he emphasized the importance of complying with regulations.
He said, “While the country allows drones of up to 250 grammes, this combat drone weighs about 5,000 grammes.
With a flight capacity of over 70 hours and space for weapon handling, it can be utilized as a weapon of war and it lacks the essential EUC from the National Security Adviser (NSA).”
The Customs CAC also disclosed that the revenue generated from imports in 2023 surpassed its annual target by 5%, reaching N30.5 billion.
He said, “The Muritala Mohammed International Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has collected the sum of N30.5 billion as revenue from 1st January to 31st December 2023. The revenue collected exceeded the revenue target given to the Command by the NCS Headquarters of N29.14 billion with a total sum of N1.35 billion which implies that the Command surpassed its revenue target by 5% for the year under review.
“A comparative analysis of the revenue collected for the corresponding year 2022 of N20.89 billion which revealed a 46% increase in total revenue collection with a difference of N9.6 billion. Since my assumption of office in the Command, it is worthy to note that the Command has consecutively surpassed its monthly target from September to December 2023 as represented in the total revenue collected within the period under review.”
The CAC provided a comprehensive account of confiscating 330 pieces of military and other security equipment, along with 126 walkie-talkies and their accompanying accessories.
He said, “According to Section 245 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 which empowers a Customs Officer to seize and detain prohibited goods, the Command also made 125 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N801.56 million for the year 2023.
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“The items intercepted include 89 Seized Drones; 66 Drones Detained; 330 Military and other Security Wares; 700 rolls of Cigarettes each containing 10 packs;126 Walkie Talkies and their Accessories; 87 pieces of Artifacts and Antiquities; 22 pieces of Elephant Tusks; $10,000 counterfeit notes handed over to Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and $8,800 concealed in an album.
“Other seizures include 300 pieces of lady’s footwear, 2 bags of Precious stones and other numerous items; three suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures. While investigation is ongoing, they will be charged to court as soon as it is completed.”
“The commitment and diligence of the officers and men of the Command and other Units including the Valuation Unit, Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) and the Customs Police enabled seamless operation of carrying out these enormous tasks.”