FOU Zone C Strikes Hard: ₦403.5M Smuggled Vegetable Oil Seized, Smuggling Networks In South-East Shaken
FOU Zone C Strikes Hard: ₦403.5M Smuggled Vegetable Oil Seized, Smuggling Networks In South-East Shaken
By Success Okezie
The Nigeria Customs Service has delivered another decisive blow to smuggling in the South-East. Through its Federal Operations Unit Zone C, Owerri, the Service intercepted a massive consignment of foreign vegetable oil with a Duty Paid Value of ₦403,491,000. The operation signals a renewed crackdown on economic saboteurs and a firm commitment to shielding Nigerian industries from unfair competition.
Comptroller Bashir Balogun, who heads FOU Zone C, said the success came from months of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and tactical coordination. Officers tracked the trucks, studied movement patterns, and moved in when the risk was highest for the smugglers. This intelligence-led approach is now the Service’s standard playbook against illicit trade.
The haul was significant. Officers recovered 3,310 jerrycans of 25-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil, 10 jerrycans of 10-litre, and 20 cartons each of 5-litre and 3-litre sunflower oil. In total, over 3,340 jerrycans of undeclared, duty-unpaid oil were taken off circulation. That volume would have flooded markets, crashed prices for local producers, and starved government coffers of revenue.
The first truck was stopped on May 9 along the 9th Mile corridor in Enugu State. The second followed on June 7, 2026, on the Onitsha–Agbor Highway in Delta State. Both routes serve as major arteries for goods moving in and out of the South-East. By sealing them off, FOU Zone C has disrupted a supply chain smugglers depended on for years.
Compt Balogun explained why this seizure goes beyond Customs. Smuggled vegetable oil undercuts legitimate manufacturers who pay duties, comply with NAFDAC and SON standards, and create jobs. It discourages investors from putting money into Nigeria’s agro-processing sector. It threatens thousands of factory jobs and drains foreign exchange as billions exit the country to pay for illegal imports. “Every smuggled jerrycan is a job lost and a naira lost,” he said.
The Comptroller reaffirmed that NCS is enforcing the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2022 without compromise. The Act gives Customs the power to intercept, seize, and prosecute those who undermine national economic interests. FOU Zone C is also aligning with Federal Government policies on import substitution, local production, and industrialization. Enforcement will continue to rely on data, technology, and inter-agency collaboration.
Balogun warned smugglers and their collaborators that the South-East is now a hostile zone for illicit trade. He said FOU Zone C will keep deploying advanced enforcement tools, from intelligence networks to field operations, to protect public health, national security, and the economy. He added that smuggled vegetable oil often bypasses regulatory checks, posing risks to consumers.
All seized items remain in Customs custody while investigations run their course. Once concluded, the Service will initiate legal proceedings against those arrested and any other persons linked to the crime. The Comptroller assured stakeholders and the public that the Unit will not relent: its mandate remains to suppress smuggling, facilitate honest trade, and support Nigeria’s economic growth.
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