Western Ports Command of the Nigeria Police Force has raised the alarm over plots by the Boko Haram sect to bomb Lagos, with the nation’s seaports in Apapa as their prime target.
The Command’s Police Commissioner, Mrs. Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison, said that based on the intelligence report it received three months ago, the sect was planning to bomb Lagos and possibly target the seaports.
She said: “We are not taking the threat lightly at all and we are encouraging all stakeholders who visit the ports to keep their eyes and ears open in case of the activity of the sect.”
The CP added that as part of measures to check the insurgents’ threat, the Police had beefed up security within and around Lagos, including the port environment, adding that the police would remain alert and vigilant in ensuring that the violent sect does not hit the ports.
On June 25, 2014, four people were killed when Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs went off near the Folawiyo Energy Depot along Creek Road, Apapa.
Eyewitnesses had said that the blast occurred after some persons suspected to be bombers set off the twin explosions.
In a video released in July by Agence French Presse, AFP, leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, had claimed responsibility for the two explosions.
Meanwhile, the Area Comptroller, Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Charles Edike, said the Service collected N950.1billion as revenue into the Federation Account from January to November 2014. Edike said that the figure is 23.4 per cent higher than the N769.3 billion collected in the corresponding period of 2013.
He said in addition to the amount collected, the NCS also saved the country N36.9 billion collected under the one percent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme CISS, which would have been paid to the three former destination service providers.
He said: “The effect of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, PAAR on the Nigeria Economy,” Edike said notwithstanding initial teething problems, the NCS has been able to overcome the challenges experienced at the introduction of PAAR in December last year, as it has so far received and processed 201,330 requests of which 188,424 were finally released and 108,169 lifted with a total Cost Insurance and Freight, CIF value of N5.6 trillion.
He said the new clearance procedure has not only increased the revenue profile of the Service; it has helped in reducing cost and time of clearance of goods at the port, thus facilitating trade.
The Customs boss said the Service has gained the recognition of the World Customs Organisation, WCO, as a result of the successes recorded by the development and introduction of PAAR.
He however noted that the biggest challenge of the new clearance procedure is lack of compliance to trade regulations by importers as a total of 14, 259 PAAR have so far been rejected.
He said the non-compliance of importers is the reason why some PAAR documents are queried.
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