Customs intercepts ₦1.35bn contraband in Ogun border crackdown

By Adejoke Adeleye Ogun

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, says it has intercepted contraband goods with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦1.35 billion within six weeks, in what it described as a major setback for economic saboteurs.

The Acting Customs Area Controller, O. O. Afeni, disclosed this at a press briefing held on Monday, 16 March 2026. He said the command had intensified efforts to dismantle smuggling networks through intelligence-led operations and strategic surveillance.

Afeni said the seizures reflected attempts by smugglers to undermine national fiscal policies, noting that the command remained vigilant across key border corridors.

Items intercepted and displayed at the Idiroko border include 2,539 kegs of vegetable oil of 25 litres each, seized from a truck at the Agbara axis, 2,547 parcels of cannabis sativa, including the Ghana Loud strain, 4,325 cartons of foreign spaghetti and 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice. Others are 13,625 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, four live pangolins and two antiquities.

“To the economic saboteurs and their sponsors, there is no trick we cannot uncover,” Afeni said.

“We are strategically positioned to decisively truncate those with malicious intentions.”

On revenue, Afeni said the command generated ₦285.6 million during the period under review, representing a significant increase compared to ₦26.3 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

He also said the command facilitated exports with a Free on Board value of ₦305.7 million, a marked improvement from the zero export recorded during the same period last year.

Afeni added that the command strengthened inter-agency collaboration by handing over the seized narcotics to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The rescued pangolins were transferred to Green Fingers Wildlife Conservation, while the antiquities were handed over to the National Museum in Abeokuta for preservation.

The acting controller attributed the achievements to the policy direction of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, noting that the borders remain closed to illegal activities but open to legitimate trade.