The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, Idiroko Border, has intercepted large consignments of hard drugs and other contrabands with a cumulative value exceeding ₦2.6 billion within 11 days.
The Acting Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing journalists on the Command’s enforcement activities shortly after assuming office. Afeni said the seizures were made during eight intelligence-driven operations conducted between December 4 and December 15, 2025, across major smuggling routes in Ogun State.
According to the controller, the Command intercepted 16 kilogrammes of heroin packaged in 16 wraps, 12 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine (ICE) in 11 wraps, and cannabis sativa of varying sizes weighing a total of 1,502 kilogrammes. He explained that the cannabis comprised 128 doughnut-sized units, 2,752 coconut-sized units and 401 booklet-sized units.
He put the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the narcotics seizures at ₦463 million, describing the development as alarming due to the devastating impact of illicit drugs on youths, public health and national security.
In line with inter agency cooperation, Afeni said the seized drugs had been formally handed over to the Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Idiroko Special Command, Commander Ekundayo William, for further investigation and prosecution.
Reaffirming the resolve of the Command, Afeni said intelligence gathering, technology deployment and sustained collaboration with sister agencies remained key to dismantling criminal networks operating along the border corridors.
Beyond drug interceptions, the Customs boss disclosed that operatives of the Command also seized several consignments of prohibited goods during the period under review. He revealed that on December 12, 2025, Customs officers intercepted an Iveco truck with registration number RMY 354 XA conveying 4,998 cartons of Doga brand spaghetti and 419 cartons of Oba brand spaghetti, each weighing 10kg, illegally imported from Turkey.
Similarly, on December 13, 2025, a DAF truck with registration number JHN-590-X was intercepted conveying 2,200 kegs of vegetable oil, 25 litres each, of Indonesian origin. Afeni noted that the items were prohibited for importation into Nigeria.
He stated that the combined DPV of the seized food items stood at ₦291.26 million, while the trucks used for conveyance were valued at ₦222 million, adding that both the goods and vehicles were liable to forfeiture to the Federal Government in accordance with extant laws.
Afeni warned that the smuggling of substandard food products posed serious health risks, as such items often evade mandatory safety and quality checks.
Other seizures recorded by the Command include 6,750 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 4,738 bags of foreign parboiled rice weighing 50kg each, two foreign-used vehicles, eight means of conveyance and 309 bundles of used pneumatic tyres. He disclosed the seizures, made across the Lusada/Ado-Odo, Abule Kazeem/Igbo-Ora Road, Abeokuta, Imeko, Idiroko/Owode and Ipokia axis.
On revenue generation, Afeni noted that although Ogun I Area Command is primarily an enforcement unit, it generated ₦27.29 million within the period through the efforts of its officers and the cooperation of compliant traders.
Reiterating the Command’s commitment to combating smuggling, Afeni assured that officers would remain vigilant in protecting Nigeria’s economic and security interests. “We have intensified surveillance, strengthened intelligence deployment and deepened collaboration with sister agencies and community stakeholders to enhance border security operations,”
~2.jpg)
0 Comments