Katsina State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service says it generated over N500 million and exported items worth over N5 billion since the reopening of the Jibia border in Katsina on 25 April 2022 to date. The Command also said in the month of October it recorded a 61 percent rise (N N46.2 million) in revenue generated as compared to the month of September 2022. While seventy-five million, six hundred thousand, nine hundred and ninety-one naira (N75 600,991) was generated from 1st – 30th September 2022, the command generated one hundred and twenty-one million, eight hundred thousand, four hundred and seventy-eight naira (N 121,800,478) from 1st – 31st October 2022. The Controller, Katsina Area Command, Dalha Wada Chedi who disclosed this on Monday while briefing pressmen of the command’s achievement for the period under review said: “Customs in Katsina have recorded over 500 million naira from the day the Jibia border was re-opened and over 5 billion worth value of exported items all passed through the Jibia Border so far,” Chedi said Chedi who describes as unfounded, the allegation of extortion of groundnuts and beans sellers levied against customs operatives along the Kaita-Dankama Road of Katsina State noted that “any duty paid to Customs goes directly into the Federal Government Accounts called TSA and the sample documents of those who have paid into the Federation Accounts for those products are available for those who need to verify.”
He also noted that “only Jibia Border is re-opened for now and it’s expected of every legitimate trader to import through it. All goods coming from across Nigeria are allowed only through the Jibia border in Katsina. Dankama Border remained closed for now. Duties are collected on food items coming to Nigeria through Jibia Border such as Beans, Tiger nuts, Dates, Groundnuts e.t.c.” According to the Katsina Command Comptroller, the command in the last one year has been enjoying smooth operation in its activities in the state and will not be deterred by mischievous people. “Customs deals with stakeholders like Association of Beans, Sesame, and Groundnuts Sellers at the border markets, not Groundnut Retailers or Union of Loaders. According to him, “the stakeholders are aware that over 75% of their food products comes from Niger Republic and have agreed to pass through Jibia and pay their duties which they have been doing, documents are here to see.” Chedi further explained that “as part of efforts to facilitate trade, an agreement was reached with the Association of Tiger Nuts and Palm Dates to issue their receipts to those that bought and load their goods from their markets to enable them present it at any checkpoints they come across for verification and till today we don’t have any problem with them and it is also the same with the Associations of Beans, Groundnuts, and Sesame at Jibia, Dankama, Kaita, and Kagadama markets. You may wish to verify from them, not the Groundnut Cake Retailer that was used to attract people’s sympathy.” Not leaving any stone unturned, Chedi also disclosed that Security Heads in the State have formed an ADHOC committee to go round the State to fish out all the bad eggs within the security agencies at illegal checkpoints, responsible for extortion and use of camp boys in discharging official duties. Chedi assured the good people of the business community in the state that the command will not relent in discharging the mandates committed to their trust. He however called on the mischief makers in the state to stop misleading the public and allow peace to reign or face the wrath of law as the command has intensified strategies to see that they are brought to book.