The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted illegal goods with a Duty Paid Value of ₦3.15bn within 15 days of a new leadership taking charge of the border state.
Among the seized items were N1.23bn worth of goods and five intercepted trucks, military camouflage gear, unregistered prescription drugs, 4,013 wraps of Cannabis Sativa, foreign rice, and 13 exotic smuggled vehicles.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Abdulhamid Ibrahim, disclosed this on Thursday during his maiden press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Idiroko, Ogun State.
Ibrahim, who assumed office on September 29, 2026, warned economic saboteurs that the command under his watch would maintain a zero-tolerance stance against smuggling and illegal trans-border trade.
Giving a breakdown of the seizures, Ibrahim revealed that on October 2, 2026, patrol officers acting on intelligence intercepted three heavy-duty trucks conveying contraband items concealed under regular goods.
The first truck, a Sino Howo truck (Reg No. MSW-232-XA), was loaded with 2,740 cartons of foreign Siddo Pasta concealed with 500 cartons of Oki Condensed Milk. The second Howo truck (Reg No. TFA-674-XA) carried 6,000 cartons of foreign Ginny pasta, while an Iveco Elco truck (Reg No. KMC-702-ZR) was caught with 6,500 cartons of foreign Doga Pasta.
He added that on October 4, another truck belonging to Dangote (Reg. No FZE-552-DA) was intercepted along the Afamin Dangote-Itori axis carrying 100 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice hidden inside Mica and Gypsum stones.
In a further blow to cross-border crime, patrol officers on October 11 intercepted a 10-wheeler truck (Reg No. AKL-456-XL) carrying 321 pieces of military camouflage face caps along with 27,831 units of unregistered pharmaceuticals, including codeine cough syrup, injections, eye drops, and dietary supplements lacking NAFDAC registration numbers.
"These five trucks and their contents, valued at ₦1.235bn, will be forfeited to the Federal Government in line with Section 248 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023," Ibrahim declared.
"While seizures of unwholesome medicaments and restricted military camouflage caps may appear vastly different, both represent severe threats to our national security, public safety, and human well-being."
Other items seized within the two-week period included 4,013 wraps of Cannabis Sativa, one wrap of Canadian Loud, 950 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 660 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 106 bales of second-hand clothing, 1,320 pairs of new shoes, 3,700 pairs of used shoes, and 13 foreign-used vehicles—including a 2022 Lexus LX600, a 2019 Toyota Venza, and three 2013 Honda CR-Vs.
The total DPV of all seized items stood at ₦3,153,591,000.
Ibrahim attributed the command's achievements to intelligence-driven enforcement and the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
"I made a pledge to deploy all lawful means to combat smuggling and enforce compliance with extant trade laws. Smugglers and their collaborators are hereby warned to steer clear of Ogun I Command. We remain vigilant, alert, and ready to confront any threat to the economic and security interests of our nation," he warned.
As part of inter-agency synergy, the command officially handed over the seized Cannabis Sativa and Canadian Loud to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Idiroko Special Command, for further investigation and destruction.
Receiving the seized cannabis sativa, Commander Olufemi Akande stated that
the latest operational breakthrough, detailed that codeine—which has faced stringent bans due to rampant abuse by youths consuming entire bottles in single instances—has officially been categorized among prohibited substances.
"Today, it is lovely and just a beautiful thing to have it seized," the security briefing noted, stressing that the crackdown effectively severs vital supply chains utilized by armed groups.
"Beyond the illicit syrups, a joint inspection of the intercepted lorry revealed camouflage caps and other tactical items linked to security vulnerabilities in the northern region".
He emphasized that these items represent strategic logistics for hostile elements, making their interception a significant operational victory.
Reiterating the hardline stance against criminal networks, Akande underscored that Idiroko remains a permanent "no-go area" for drug traffickers.
The operation showcases a unified front comprising the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Immigration Service, and other security architecture working in synergy to stamp out drug peddling, trafficking, and economic sabotage.
"We are out because where we don't have NDLEA officers, we have Nigeria Customs, we have SSS, DSS, and Nigeria Immigration Service all working together, and this is how we will always stand our ground to say no," he declared.
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