Nigeria Customs Service has been directed to return food items that were confiscated at border communities to owners.
According to the directive on the order of president Bola Tinubu, the return of the food items should be on the condition that the items would be sold in the Nigerian markets.
Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service disclosed this in Katsina on Saturday during an interface with residents of border communities in Kongolam and Mai’Adua border stations.
Adeniyi said the president has decided to exercise his power not in accordance with the law, “but according to the feelings of magnaminty that he has for Nigeria”.
“In doing so, he has directed that those food items that were going out of the country that have been seized in various border areas should be returned to the owners on the condition that those goods would be sold in the Nigerian markets.
“So, we will be monitoring you to know if there is a violation of this. Those food items will be returned, and it is a directive that we will pass them back into the Nigerian markets.” he said
The Customs boss said Nigeria was in an emergency food situation, noting that the NCS will continue to take proactive measures to tackle exportation of food items in order to curb food insufficiency.
He said there was Export Prohibition Act that proscribed the exportation of food items such as maize, millet, yam, beans and sorghum, adding that the law would be reviewed when the nation is self-sufficient.
He added that, to tame food inflation, the Customs Service would continue to monitor to ensure that food that is produced in the country remains and is consumed by Nigerians.
Adeniyi said: “We know that there are markets around our borders and we know that not all of them are targeted at taking goods across the borders. We will continue to monitor and ensure that food that is produced in Nigeria remains and is consumed in Nigeria.
“This is because we are in a period of National Emergency that has to do with food insufficiency and this is why we must collectively work together to assist the government to enforce the various laws that prohibit the exportation of food items at this time.
“There is an Export Prohibition Act which currently disallows the exportation of food items like maize, rice beams, yam, millet and sorghum. Food security is very, very important. If our people are in hunger, they can be lured into certain criminal activities.”
He therefore urged residents of the border communities to assist the government in implementing the various rules that prohibit the exports of food items and other essential commodities.
