Customs security boats rot at Marina Jetty

As the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, continues to battle smuggling activities in the country, two of its security patrol boats acquired at $500 million have been wasting and idling away at the Marina Jetty more than two years after they were acquired.

It was gathered that despite their inactiveness,   the management of NCS has allegedly been spending millions of naira annually in running the engine and communication equipment of the security boats, named “Customs Pride” and “Group of Nine.”

The boats were acquired in 2015 during the Abdullahi Dikko-led management and anchored at the Marina Waterfront.

The inactiveness of these security boats and other operational equipment are said to be part of the reasons the Marine Commands of the NCS have been ineffective at checking the activities of smugglers and other crimes at the waterfronts.

However, a senior Customs official who spoke on condition   of anonymity explained that the two patrol boats were yet to be commissioned and deployed for operations due to lack of adequate armoury and trained crew, saying the truth is that “NCS is yet to install the needed armoury necessary for their operations. We are hoping that the management approves their installation soon.”

It will be recalled that following the upsurge in the smuggling of vehicles, rice, frozen products and other consumables from Nigeria’s neighboring countries,  Vice President Yemi Osinbajo recently described it “a serious threat to Nigeria’s economy.”