The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, has intercepted smuggled goods with a total duty-paid value of N6.19 billion and foiled 195 smuggling attempts within four weeks.
The Acting Controller of the unit, Oladapo Afeni, disclosed this during a press briefing in Lagos, attributing the achievements to improved intelligence gathering, surveillance, risk-based examinations and collaboration with relevant government agencies.
Afeni said the unit remained committed to suppressing smuggling, protecting government revenue, enforcing customs laws and safeguarding Nigeria’s economic and security interests.
According to him, the seizures included 3,028 bags of 50kg rice, 995 bags of 25kg rice, 104 bags of 20kg rice and 207 bags of 5kg rice.
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Other intercepted items were 5,986 parcels of cannabis weighing 3,407.83kg, 173 cartons of smuggled frozen poultry products, 6,949 cartons of spaghetti, 459 bales and 39 jumbo sacks of second-hand clothing, 1,236 used tyres, 33 used rings and 8,025 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
The unit also intercepted 57 cartons, 34 packs and six pieces of codeine syrup, which were handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Afeni described the seizures as more than enforcement statistics, noting that they represented recovered government revenue, protection for local industries and prevention of public exposure to dangerous and substandard products.
He expressed particular concern over the quantity of cannabis intercepted, citing the 2025 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which identified cannabis as the world’s most widely available and used drug.
The Customs chief warned that the unit would maintain a firm but professional approach to enforcement, protect legitimate trade and ensure that individuals involved in activities undermining the nation’s economy face the consequences.
