Ikeja Customs Seize N3.23bn Smuggled Goods
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, has intensified its crackdown on smuggling, intercepting 220 consignments of prohibited and illegally imported goods with a combined duty-paid value of ₦3.23 billion in eight weeks.
The operation also generated ₦728.9 million for the Federal Government through seizures and recoveries linked to under-declaration, false declarations and other customs violations.
Customs spokesman, Hussaini Abdullahi, said the results followed a combination of intelligence gathering, risk profiling and targeted patrols across strategic trade routes within the unit’s jurisdiction.
The seizures included 4,956 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg and equivalent to eight trailer loads, alongside 12 imported used vehicles.
Officers also intercepted large quantities of illicit substances, comprising 2,683 parcels of synthetic cannabis weighing 1,439.9kg, 49 parcels of Ghanaian Loud weighing 26.1kg, a parcel of crystal methamphetamine and 13 parcels of granular cannabis.
The haul further included 240,000 tablets of tramadol and 12,000 tablets of Hypnox.
Beyond narcotics, Customs seized 22 elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg, 24,100 litres of premium motor spirit, 26 cartons of foreign vegetable oil, 686 cartons of foreign poultry products, 414 bales of second-hand clothing and 2,947 used tyres.
The Customs Area Controller, Gambo Aliyu, described the revenue recovery as a significant boost to government finances, stressing that officers would sustain pressure on individuals and businesses involved in duty evasion and other forms of customs fraud.
He called on importers, exporters and licensed customs agents to make truthful declarations and comply with applicable regulations, warning that deliberate attempts to circumvent customs procedures would attract enforcement action.
Aliyu said the interception of foreign rice, poultry products, vegetable oil and other restricted commodities would help shield local producers from unfair competition, support domestic production and protect government revenue.
He added that the seizure of narcotics and unregulated pharmaceutical products was equally important in curbing the circulation of substances that could pose serious risks to public health.
The recovery of elephant tusks, he noted, also underscored Customs’ growing role in combating illegal wildlife trafficking and protecting Nigeria’s environmental resources.
The latest operation reflects the wider mandate of the Customs Service, which extends beyond revenue collection to include border protection, anti-smuggling enforcement, protection of domestic industries and the facilitation of legitimate international trade.
