THE Katsina State Command of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday handed over six trucks and their contents to the owners as directed by President Bola Tinubu.
The released trucks were mostly intercepted along the Kongolam Border Patrol Checkpoint in Mai-Adua Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The presidential directive aimed to ensure food security and alleviate the hardship faced by most citizens of the country.
The Katsina State Customs Area Comptroller Muhammad Umar while releasing the trucks loaded with assorted grains that were hitherto under the custody of the Nigerian Customs Service recalled that the Controller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, had during his official work visit to Katsina, passed across the presidential directive which mandated the return of the detained food items to the owners on the condition that they would be sold within the Nigerian market.
He announced that the released trucks will be closely monitored by the Katsina Customs Area Command in collaboration with the Customs Intelligence Unit, Federal Operation Unit, and the Joint Border Patrol Team, to ensure that they are not smuggled out of the country again.
He added that the service is committed to fostering constructive dialogue and collaboration with the border communities to ensure prosperity and security in the whole thing.
He, therefore, pleaded with the general public to provide information that would assist in curtailing the smuggling of foodstuff out of the country.
In his remarks during the brief ceremony, the Chairman of the State Taskforce Committee on Food Security and Promotion, Jabiru Abdullahi Tsauri, warned smugglers and owners of the released trucks to adhere strictly to the presidential directive by selling these assorted grains to Nigerians particularly citizens of Katsina State.
“We have already instructed the Local Government Chairmen to form a Committee to monitor strictly in conjunction with the task force, the sales of these Grains,” Tsauri added.
