President Tinubu gives customs guidelines for return of seized food items

President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, has ordered the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to hand over food items taken at border areas to their rightful owners under the condition that the goods are sold domestically in the Nigerian market. 

The head of Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, communicated these details at an engagement with border community residents in Kongolam and Mai’Adua stations in Katsina on Saturday. 

He stated that President Tinubu has chosen to use his authority based on his magnanimous feelings towards Nigeria, rather than strictly adhering to the law. 

He explained that, due to an urgent food crisis in Nigeria, the Nigeria Customs Service will persist in implementing preventive actions against the exportation of food items to mitigate food shortage. 

The Customs director explained that an Export Prohibition Act currently prevents the exportation of foodstuffs like maize, millet, yam, beans, and sorghum, to reassess the law as the country reaches food self-sufficiency. 

He added that the Nigeria Customs Service would continue to monitor to ensure that food that was produced in the country remains and is consumed by Nigerians to tame food inflation. 

The federal government through the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has in recent times begun enforcing the ban on food exports especially grains in a bid to shore up the food supply in the country.