Ogun Area 1 Customs intercepts ₦4.6 billion in contraband, revives border exports after year of zero trade

  

 

IDIROKO. — The Nigeria Customs Service Ogun I Area Command intercepted contraband worth ₦4.6 billion in Duty Paid value,and recorded its first major export activity in a year during the second quarter of 2026.

Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni disclosed this to journalists during a Press Conference held on Wednesday at Sentry ,Idiroko border, adding that officers intercepted 146 seizures with a Duty Paid Value of ₦4,628,591,970.16 between April 1 and June 23.

The seizures included 2,807 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 9,482 parcels of cannabis sativa, 62 sacks of raw marijuana, 16,525 liters of petrol, 2,427 pneumatic tires, 100 sachets of tramadol of 10 pieces 225 mg, and 77 cartons of analgin injection, among other goods, he said.

Afeni cited several concealment methods used by smugglers. "On June 3, officers stopped a truck marked “For Sale” along the Ijebu-Ode axis and found 2,427 smuggled tires inside. On June 16, a driver tried to ram a patrol vehicle along the Itori-Wasimi-Abeokuta axis before officers discovered 113 bags of rice hidden under bags of cement. 

Cannabis and tramadol were handed over to Special Command, Idiroko, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Commander Ekundayo Williams and  the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Chief Regulatory Officer,Port head, Idiroko, Adaa Daniels Agangba.

He added that command also reported a turnaround in legitimate trade. Exports totaled 20,972 metric tons with a Free On Board value of ₦1,049,020,400 in the quarter, compared with zero exports in the same period in 2025. White talc, crushed thermal coal and compressed natural gas drove the exports.

"Revenue collection rose 238% year over year to ₦259,277,346.89, up ₦182,445,543.89 from ₦76,814,207 collected in Q2 2025. Afeni attributed the increase to strict compliance enforcement.

"As chairman of the Joint Border Security Committee,  coordinated sweeps with Beninese security agencies recently cleared criminal hideouts along the Idiroko-Igolo border".

 He warned smuggling syndicates to stay out of the command’s area.