Date: 2021-03-18

The Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT), North Central Zone, Sector 3 Ilorin, Kwara State, said it has recorded 242 seizures with total Duty Paid Value of over N259 million between January and March this year.

The Coordinator of the team, Comptroller Olugboyega Peters, disclosed this in Ilorin, the state capital while speaking with journalists on the scorecard of the team.

He said: "Under my leadership, our steadfastness in fighting crime in all ramifications and continued synergy among security agencies at the border to tackle the menace of insecurity and smuggling will be tackled head-on. "Today, I make bold to say that since my assumption of duty as the coordinator of sector 3, we have recorded 242 seizures with total Duty Paid Value of N259, 260, 443".

Peters stated that, "Apart from this, it is no longer news that on 8th of January, 2021, Sector 3 security operatives at Ilesha Baruba, acting on information, intercepted a Volkswagen Golf Vehicle (Red color with Registration No BDG 453 BH) along Saki–Ilesha Baruba axis. Foreign parboiled rice were found to be loaded in the said vehicle.

"When the smuggler realised that he will lose both vehicle and the goods, the driver retreated and mobilised a large mob of organised smugglers and errant youths armed with sticks, stones and locally made weapons who attacked the operatives, overran the checkpoint and set ablaze all operational items and properties of the operatives."

He added: "With the existing synergy already established with traditional institutions, resident, security agencies, youth leaders and other stakeholders intervened and the situation was later brought under control and normalcy was restored.

"I want to use this medium to caution our teeming youths to reject being used by economic saboteurs to confront operatives of the Sector carrying out their lawful duties and those people with criminal intentions to immediately desist from such acts because operatives of the sector are well mobilised, backed up by the extant laws and shall remain resolute at enforcing the laws without fear of intimidation."

Peters, however said that, "There are more seizures domiciled at various locations within the Sector that could not be transferred to Sector 3 Headquarters in Ilorin due to distance and logistics problem.

"We have 311 Bags of Rice and 7 Vehicles in Okuta' 850 cartons of tomatoes paste in Ogaja-Adikpo Benue State, 162 bags of rice and four used vehicles in Bokuro, 95 cartons of tomatos, 7 drums of PMS and two used vehicles in Babanna".

He, therefore, pledged that the team would not rest on its oars so as to put a stop to the activities of smugglers and other illicit businesses along the nation's borders.