The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted smuggled goods with a total Duty Paid Value of ₦3.15 billion within the first 15 days of new leadership, in a series of operations targeting economic sabotage and security threats along the border corridor.
Acting Customs Area Controller Deputy Comptroller Abdulhamid Ibrahim, who assumed office on 29 September 2026, announced the seizures on Thursday during his maiden press briefing at the command headquarters in Idiroko. He declared a zero-tolerance policy against smuggling and illegal cross-border trade.
Among the major intercepts were five trucks and their contents valued at ₦1.235 billion. On 2 October, patrol officers acting on intelligence stopped three heavy-duty trucks. A Sino Howo truck (MSW-232-XA) carried 2,740 cartons of foreign Siddo pasta concealed under 500 cartons of Oki condensed milk. A second Howo (TFA-674-XA) held 6,000 cartons of foreign Ginny pasta, while an Iveco Elco (KMC-702-ZR) was loaded with 6,500 cartons of foreign Doga pasta.
Two days later, officers intercepted a Dangote-linked truck (FZE-552-DA) along the Afamin Dangote–Itori axis carrying 100 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice hidden inside mica and gypsum stones. On 11 October, a 10-wheeler truck (AKL-456-XL) was stopped with 321 military camouflage face caps and 27,831 units of unregistered pharmaceuticals, including codeine cough syrup, injections, eye drops and dietary supplements lacking NAFDAC registration.
“These five trucks and their contents, valued at ₦1.235bn, will be forfeited to the Federal Government in line with Section 248 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023,” Ibrahim said. He stressed that both the unwholesome medicaments and restricted military camouflage items posed severe threats to national security, public safety and human well-being.
Additional seizures within the two-week period included 4,013 wraps of Cannabis Sativa, one wrap of Canadian Loud, 950 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 660 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 106 bales of second-hand clothing, 1,320 pairs of new shoes, 3,700 pairs of used shoes, and 13 exotic foreign-used vehicles. The vehicles included a 2022 Lexus LX600, a 2019 Toyota Venza and three 2013 Honda CR-Vs. The overall Duty Paid Value of all intercepted items reached ₦3,153,591,000.
The seized cannabis products were formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Idiroko Special Command for investigation and destruction. NDLEA Commander Olufemi Akande welcomed the inter-agency cooperation, noting that codeine — long banned due to widespread youth abuse — remains a prohibited substance. He described the interception of the camouflage caps and related tactical items as a significant blow to logistics networks linked to security vulnerabilities, particularly in the northern region.
Akande emphasised that Idiroko has become a “no-go area” for drug traffickers and economic saboteurs. He highlighted ongoing collaboration among the Nigeria Customs Service, NDLEA, Nigeria Immigration Service, Department of State Services and other agencies.
Ibrahim warned that the command would continue deploying all lawful means to combat smuggling. “Smugglers and their collaborators are hereby warned to steer clear of Ogun I Command. We remain vigilant, alert, and ready to confront any threat to the economic and security interests of our nation,” he stated.
The operations underscore heightened enforcement along one of Nigeria’s busiest land borders and the growing integration of customs, drug-control and security agencies in disrupting both illicit trade and potential threats to national stability.