In its effort to drive revenue generation and upgrade the economy, the Nigeria Customs Service has been very proactive.
But accusations of fraud have been levelled against the agency and it is out to address such.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has denied allegations of impropriety in its e-auction process, stating that it is unfounded.
This was contained in a statement signed by Abdullahi Maiwada, the National Public Relations Officer, on Saturday.
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Maiwada dismissed any suggestion of fraudulent activities or underhand dealings in the e-auctioning of vehicles or other goods.
Rather, he reiterated the NCS commitment to upholding the highest standards of accountability and transparency in all its operations.
Reacting to a report titled: “The Monumental Stealing By The Customs Auction Committee And Their Plans To Dispose-Off Overtime Containers.”
Nigeria Customs Deny Fraud Allegations
The NCS Auction Committee, said it operated within the bounds of the law and adhered to established guidelines and procedures for the disposal of seized/overtime goods.
It denied claims of selling over 300 auctioned vehicles to a single individual through the e-auction window.
The NCS also stated in clear terms that it never collected 10,000 as duty on the auctioned goods.
Therefore, the agency urged Nigerians to dismiss these claims, as they are misleading, and they are a misrepresentation of facts.
Providing data from completed e-auction windows, the NCS revealed that only 13,605 applicants registered on their portal across Nigeria.
These applicants used the five bidding windows, resulting in 462 vehicles being won out of 476 uploaded.
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“The government reportedly generated ₦556,738,736 in revenue from these auctions, raising questions about the source of the allegations”, Maiwada said.
The response from the NCS underscores its determination to address concerns and maintain public trust while generating revenue for the government.
