Ogun 1 Customs Dismantles ₦6.78 Billion Smuggling Network in 41-Day Sweep
Ogun 1 Customs Dismantles ₦6.78 Billion Smuggling Network in 41-Day Sweep.
…Intelligence-led operations under yield massive seizures of cannabis, rice, fuel, and contraband while revenue and exports rise.
By Success Okezie
In just 41 days, the Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun Area 1 Command, disrupted a major smuggling pipeline cutting across Ogun State’s border corridors, intercepting 73 consignments of prohibited goods and narcotics valued at ₦6.78 billion.
Acting Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller Olukayode Afeni, announced the results on Tuesday during a press briefing at Sentry, Idiroko. He credited the success to the strategic direction and renewed anti-smuggling mandate set by the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, which has sharpened intelligence gathering and coordinated enforcement across all commands.
“This operation is a direct outcome of the CGC’s charge to commands to tighten the noose on smugglers, protect local industries, and safeguard public health,” Afeni said. “We are implementing that directive on the ground in Ogun.”
At the heart of the haul were narcotics. Officers confiscated 2,543 parcels of cannabis sativa, which have been formally handed over to the NDLEA Idiroko Special Command. A larger quantity of cannabis indica, commonly called “Ghana Loud,” was also seized—10,126 parcels weighing 4,627kg with an estimated street value of over ₦5 billion.
The command also intercepted 1,759 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 50kg each; 2,685 kegs of Oki vegetable oil, 25 litres each; and 14,550 litres of Premium Motor Spirit concealed in jerricans, enough to fill more than a tanker. Other items included basmati rice, sugar, footwear, secondhand clothing, diesel, organic honey, expired food products, macaroni, spaghetti, and 6 live pangolins that have been transferred to the appropriate wildlife agency.
In total, the Duty Paid Value of all seized items stood at ₦6,777,236,000.
Afeni connected the seizures to broader issues of health and economic security. He said cannabis sativa and indica remain a major threat, fueling addiction and enabling crimes such as armed robbery, banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.
“From January to date, we have taken 26,002 parcels of cannabis off the streets,” he said. “This is not just enforcement. It is prevention. Without this intervention, our society would face a wave of drug-related crises that our already overstretched healthcare and rehabilitation systems cannot handle.”
He also addressed the continued smuggling of foreign rice despite the federal government’s land-border ban, a policy designed to encourage local production and reduce import dependence. Persistent smuggling, he said, undermines Nigeria’s agricultural potential and slows economic growth.
On vegetable oil, he pointed to the damaging impact of unregulated imports on local refineries and smallholder farmers. On 5th May 2026, officers intercepted a DAF truck along the Sagamu-Interchange/Ogere road carrying 2,185 kegs of Oki vegetable oil. Since assuming office, the command had seized 12,271 kegs of vegetable oil through overhauled enforcement tactics aligned with the CGC’s policy on protecting domestic producers and jobs.
A separate operation on 7th May 2026 saw officers stop a Volvo truck on the same route. A 100% physical examination revealed 77 cartons of unregistered Analgin injection, 50 cartons of expired Maggi cubes, sacks of basmati rice, footwear, handbags, vegetable oil, organic honey, and used clothing.
Beyond enforcement, the command reported gains in revenue and legitimate trade. Between 16th March and 12th May 2026, it generated and remitted ₦125,430,757 into the Federation Account through baggage assessment and the auction of seized petroleum products.
Afeni also noted that cross-border trade was gradually picking up. The command facilitated the export of 95 metric tonnes of goods with a Free on Board value of ₦1,004,641,056.09, and said his management team remains focused on resolving bottlenecks that hinder compliant traders, in line with the CGC’s trade facilitation agenda.
The seized narcotics were formally handed over to Ekundayo Williams, Commander of the NDLEA Idiroko Special Command. Afeni commended inter-agency cooperation and the role of critical stakeholders in curbing smuggling and economic sabotage.
He urged Nigerians to support the Nigeria Customs Service and federal government policies aimed at strengthening national security, safeguarding public health, and creating an environment where local production can thrive.
For the Ogun Area 1 Command, the message is clear: under the leadership of the CGC, smuggling routes are being closed, one intelligence-driven interception at a time.
About The Author
