The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) seized goods worth ₦4.63 billion and generated ₦259.78 million in revenue between April 1 and June 23, 2026. Acting Customs Area Controller Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni disclosed this during a press briefing in Idiroko, Ogun State, on Wednesday. The revenue marked a 238% increase from the ₦76.81 million collected during the same period in 2025, attributed to stricter enforcement and improved compliance by importers and clearing agents. Revenue sources included baggage assessments, auctions of perishable items, and charges on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Customs recorded 146 seizures of prohibited items, including 2,807 bags of foreign rice, 9,482 parcels of cannabis sativa, 62 sacks of raw marijuana, 16,525 litres of PMS, 475 litres of diesel, 7,642 pairs of footwear, 2,427 tyres, 63 sacks of foreign sugar, 73 bales of second-hand clothing, imported flour, fertiliser, frozen products, and 1,000 tablets of Tramadol. A major interception occurred on June 3 at Ijebu-Ode, where officers seized a truck with 2,427 smuggled tyres bearing registration number ENU-660-XY, which had a "For Sale" sign likely to avoid detection. On June 16, another truck was stopped on the Itori-Wasimi-Abeokuta Road carrying 113 bags of parboiled rice hidden under cement; the driver attempted to ram a patrol vehicle but was caught. On June 14, 630 bags of foreign rice were intercepted at Afamin-Igbogila, following a prior seizure of military camouflage uniforms on the Sagamu Expressway.
The Command also facilitated the export of 20,972 metric tonnes of goods valued at ₦1.049 billion, mainly white talc, crushed thermal coal, and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), a new development as no exports were recorded in the same 2025 period. In inter-agency collaboration, 6,981 parcels of Cannabis Indica and 62 sacks of raw marijuana were handed to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), while 77 cartons of Analgin injections (138,600 tubes) and 1,000 Tramadol tablets went to NAFDAC. Joint Nigerian-Beninese operations have intensified surveillance along the Idiroko-Igolo corridor to combat smuggling.
Deputy Comptroller Afeni announced a 238% revenue jump while detailing multiple seizures of smuggled goods, yet the same period saw repeated large-scale violations along major routes. The frequency of intercepted trucks carrying thousands of bags of rice and tyres suggests existing checkpoints are being routinely bypassed or compromised. If enforcement were truly effective, such repeated breaches would not occur so openly. The surge in revenue may reflect increased activity, but the pattern of smuggling points to deeper operational gaps.
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