The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the interception of contraband goods worth over ₦1.18 billion across the South-West within a six-week operation.
Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday at the Customs warehouse in Ikeja, Lagos, the Comptroller of the Unit, Mohammed Shuaibu, said the seizures were made in Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, and Lagos States as part of intensified border security operations.
Shuaibu revealed that the confiscated items included 5,015 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, equivalent to eight trailer loads, 15 used (Tokunbo) vehicles, 640 parcels of Cannabis Sativa weighing 431.8kg, and 460 jerrycans (25 litres each) of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
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Other intercepted goods, according to him, comprised 143 bales of used clothing, two jumbo sacks of used shoes, one sack of used clothing, 390 bottles of Codeine, 310 foreign-branded drugs, 19 cards of Tramadol, 210 pieces of used tyres, and one 20-foot container (ONEU 2419369 FTC) loaded with 752 cartons of Calcium Lactate, which was seized for false declaration.
The Comptroller stressed that the operations were largely intelligence-driven, aimed at protecting Nigeria’s borders, safeguarding the economy, and shielding consumers from dangerous and counterfeit goods.
He reiterated the Unit’s commitment to inter-agency cooperation, stating that the seized pharmaceutical products and Cannabis Sativa would be handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further action.
Reaffirming the government’s stance on the prohibition of foreign parboiled rice imports through land borders, Shuaibu warned: “Selfish and unpatriotic individuals who continue to flout the policy will suffer heavy losses.”
He also disclosed that the Unit had recovered ₦39.27 million in revenue through demand notices issued for import duty shortfalls between September 1 and October 7, 2025.
Receiving the seized drugs on behalf of the NDLEA, the Deputy Commander of Narcotics, Nasir Bungudu, commended the Customs officers for their vigilance and intelligence in intercepting what he described as another significant consignment of Indian hemp smuggled into Nigeria through sea routes.
Bungudu said: “This is another Indian hemp that is not produced in Nigeria. It was brought in through the sea and the river. I thank the Customs for their ability to track and arrest the culprits. Their intelligence and timing in making such arrests are commendable.”
He assured that the NDLEA would continue to deepen its collaboration with the Customs Service to combat drug trafficking, particularly through waterways and land borders.
Shuaibu confirmed that four suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures and would be handed over to the relevant authorities for investigation and prosecution.
The latest interception underscores the Customs’ commitment to enforcing the 2016 Federal Government ban on foreign rice imports through land borders and its continued efforts to curb smuggling activities threatening Nigeria’s economic and national security.
