Muritala Mohammed Area Command Upholds High Operational Standard in Cargo Handling – Comptroller Otunla
By Ranmilowo Ojalumo -The Customs Area Controller of Muritala Mohammed Area Command, Comptroller G A Otunla has reiterated the Command’s resolve to keep the business ethics of ensuring that Port Operators and Clearing Agents pay stipulated duties for goods before they can be completely cleared from the ports.
Comptroller Otunla said this while interacting with members of the Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN) during a courtesy visit.
The soft-spoken customs chief said that every unit of cargo that comes into the country through freight is airway billed separately, not collectively as most agents tend to present them during inspection.
To this end, according to the CAC, every item coming into the country is captured in the database of the Nigeria Customs.
He noted that some agents mischievously bunch items together to conceal them, only to declare one or two out of many others.
The unfortunate aspect for such saboteurs, he stated, is that even when the concealed items are eventually taken out of the customs yard, the system still shows that they were not properly cleared.
The impact of the prudent administration of Comptroller Otunla who has been at the helm of affairs in the MMAC for barely two months, is seen in the sharp rise of the monthly revenue from 16,673,433,040.00 in January, 2025 to 23,410,408,103.20 in January, 2026.
The Comptroller who had worked under different Customs Area Controllers in MMAC as a young officer before he was moved to Ogun1 and Ogun 2 Commands, attributed his achievements so far to his experience in the terrain and the support and contribution of dedicated officers whom he inherited from the last administration..
Controller Otunla urged the trading public to see the Nigerian Customs as friends and facilitators but not as enemies.
He warned that before any member of the public would buy any product, there should be thorough enquiries about the item on sale to be sure that it was properly cleared from the ports.
