Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Ogun I Area Command, has disrupted major smuggling networks operating along the border corridors in Ogun State by intercepting contraband goods valued at over ₦2 billion.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Oladapo Afeni, disclosed this during his maiden press briefing held at the Command’s headquarters in Idiroko.
Afeni stated that the seizures were recorded barely two weeks after he assumed office on December 4, 2025, attributing the success to intensified intelligence-led operations, improved surveillance, and strengthened collaboration with sister security agencies and community stakeholders.
According to him, the seized items include food items, 6,750 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 4,738 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 11 wraps of crystal methamphetamine weighing 12kg, 16 pieces of heroin weighing 16kg, and 3,373 wraps of Cannabis Sativa weighing 1,502kg, among others, with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦2,006,008,898.00.
“It may interest us to know that unscrupulous tradesmen deliberately smuggle in substandard food items and profit on the health risk of unsuspecting Nigerians,” he stated.
“For emphasis, the seizure of narcotics, being Crystal Meth and Cannabis Sativa, is particularly worrisome, given their far-reaching impact on our youth, public health, and national security,” he added.
Regarding revenue generation, the Acting Customs Area Controller stated that the Command had generated ₦27,291,861.00 as of 16 December 2025, despite being primarily an enforcement-oriented Command. “We have achieved this through the diligence of our Officers and Men, and the cooperation of compliant traders.”
He warned smugglers and their collaborators to desist from illegal activities, stressing that the Ogun I Area Command remains vigilant, resolute, and committed to protecting Nigeria’s economic and security interests through professionalism and integrity.
The seized Cannabis Sativa were formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Idiroko Special Command, in line with inter-agency collaboration and national security protocols.
