The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, has intercepted 195 smuggling attempts involving prohibited and restricted goods valued at ₦6.19 billion across the South-West.
The seizures, recorded within four weeks, included 3.4 tonnes of cannabis, 23,220 machetes, ammunition, foreign rice, vehicles and other prohibited items.
The Acting Comptroller of the unit, Oladapo Afeni, disclosed this during his maiden media briefing in Ikeja, Lagos, where he said the intensified operations were aimed at curbing smuggling, protecting the economy and preventing the movement of items that could threaten public safety ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Start tomorrow informed
Save your place for the morning brief. We’ll start emailing when delivery goes live.
Free. Confirm by email. Unsubscribe anytime.
According to Afeni, the seized items had a total Duty Paid Value of ₦6,194,695,947.05.
The largest seizures included 5,986 parcels of cannabis weighing 3,407.83 kilogrammes, 23,220 pieces of new machetes and 1,250 cartridges of Red Star 12-calibre ammunition.
Other intercepted items included 400 grammes of cocaine, 100 grammes of methamphetamine, eight live pangolins, 21 foreign-used vehicles, 3,028 bags of imported rice, 6,949 cartons of spaghetti, 173 cartons of imported frozen poultry products and 1,236 used tyres.
The unit also seized 8,025 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, codeine syrup, imported sugar, powdered milk and other unregistered food products.
Afeni expressed particular concern over the interception of the machetes, warning that the items could be diverted for criminal activities and potentially undermine peaceful elections.
He said the 23,220 machetes were being smuggled into the country without the required certificates and permits, adding that such activities could facilitate election-related violence.
“Election violence is rarely an isolated incident but facilitated and aided by smuggling activities like the one thwarted by our operatives,” he said.
The Customs official also highlighted the health implications of the intercepted drugs, citing the 2025 World Drug Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which identified cannabis as the most widely available and used drug globally.
He said the seized narcotics had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and prosecution, while other prohibited items would be transferred to relevant agencies.
Beyond the seizures, the unit recovered an additional ₦683.66 million through compliance checks and the detection of irregularities in import declarations.
Afeni said the revenue was recovered between September 30, 2026, and the date of the briefing through measures including risk profiling, examination of suspicious consignments and the correction of undervalued import declarations.
He assured importers and licensed customs agents that the unit would continue to facilitate legitimate trade while enforcing regulations against smuggling, false declarations and duty evasion.
The acting comptroller also called on members of the public to report suspicious activities and support lawful trade, adding that the unit would sustain intelligence-led operations and collaboration with other security agencies.
Discussion0