…arrests eight smugglers
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ has seized 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice weighing 50 kogrammes each (12 trailer loads), 21 units of assorted used vehicles, 3,362 jerrycans of foreign vegetable oil of 25 litres each, 20,700 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) with a duty paid value of over N3.3 billion within weeks of a change in leadership.
The Comptroller of the Unit, Gambo Aliyu, explained on Tuesday in Lagos, during his maiden press briefing, that eight suspects were arrested in connection with the various seizures.
He added that the interception of 144 smuggling attempts involving rice, petroleum products, vehicles, drugs, used clothing, vegetable oil, wildlife, and other prohibited or restricted items across its area of responsibility.
Aliyu added that the development was the outcome of a deliberate shift in strategy aimed at confronting smuggling syndicates with renewed vigour, tighter internal controls and intelligence-driven operations.
Other seizures are 77 bags of foreign sugar, 915 bales of used clothing, and one 20-foot container loaded with 20 pallets of stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.
Aliyu added that the results were achieved after the command reviewed its operational patterns and moved away from routine and predictable checkpoints, especially within the Lagos metropolis, in favour of intelligence-led deployments.
He explained that internal supervision had also been strengthened, with clear performance indicators introduced for officers and men of the unit as part of what he described as a broader change management, compliance management and reputational management framework.
Beyond economic sabotage, he said that the unit had also intensified operations against drug trafficking networks, leading to the interception of 3,029 parcels of a synthetic strain of cannabis indica, popularly known as “Ghanaian Loud,” weighing about 1,431 kilogrammes.
He noted that the operation significantly disrupted supply chains of illicit drugs within the unit’s area of responsibility, at a time when the country is grappling with rising cases of banditry, terrorism and other forms of violent crime.
Also, Aliyu linked drug trafficking to broader national security and social challenges, warning that substances such as methamphetamine and other hard drugs embolden criminal elements, erode social stability and worsen public health and economic problems, including youth unemployment and addiction-related illnesses.
He urged those involved in the illicit trade to abandon it for legitimate business or face the consequences, stressing that the unit’s resolve to clamp down on such activities remains firm.
He disclosed that the command, in the course of these operations, lost one of its officers who died in the line of duty, a development he described as a painful reminder of the risks associated with enforcement work. He said the incident had already been reported to the Service high command.
In another notable operation, the unit intercepted four live pangolins along the waterways of Alapa Creek in Ajilete, Ogun State.
The endangered animals, regarded as among the most trafficked mammals in the world, were subsequently handed over to the Wildlife Conservation Centre for safekeeping.
The comptroller said the action underscored Nigeria’s commitment to enforcing wildlife protection laws and discouraging the illegal trade in endangered species.
The unit also seized 581 used refrigerator compressors concealed in a vehicle, an interception Aliyu described as significant for environmental protection and public safety.
He explained that such compressors often contain hazardous oils and refrigerants that can contaminate soil and release greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which contribute to ozone layer depletion if improperly disposed of.
He said the seizure was in line with Section 55(1)(d) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and Nigeria’s obligations under the Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous waste.
Beyond seizures, Aliyu said that the unit had also stepped up enforcement of import and export compliance, particularly in the area of cargo misdeclaration.
He revealed that between December 10, 2025 and the date of the briefing, the command recovered N36,891,826 through the issuance of demand notices, as part of efforts to strengthen the integrity of the supply chain through what he described as rigorous gap analysis.
Aliyu said that the unit would sustain enforcement tactics aimed at rooting out economic saboteurs, while at the same time facilitating legitimate trade, in line with the broader mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service.
