By Peter Omopo
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded major operational successes following the deployment of a renewed intelligence-driven anti-smuggling strategy, intercepting 144 smuggling attempts and making high-value seizures across its area of responsibility.
The development was announced in a statement posted on the Service’s official X handle on Friday by the Comptroller of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Gambo Aliyu. The announcement came shortly after the death of Assistant Superintendent of Customs, Mustapha Akiyode, who was shot during an ambush by suspected smugglers along the Ilara–Ijoun axis in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State in the early hours of February 3, 2026.
Speaking during his maiden press briefing at the FOU Zone ‘A’ headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, Comptroller Aliyu described the incident as a painful reminder of the dangers faced by officers in the line of duty, particularly in border enforcement operations.
According to him, the newly introduced strategy has led to the seizure of various prohibited and uncustomed goods, including 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 77 bags of foreign sugar, 21 used vehicles, 3,362 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 20,700 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), 915 bales of used clothing, 581 used refrigerator compressors classified as hazardous waste under Nigerian law and international conventions, as well as a 20-foot container of stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.
Aliyu said the achievements followed a commitment made upon his assumption of duty to confront smuggling syndicates with renewed determination, professionalism, and strict adherence to the rule of law and respect for human dignity.
In a major breakthrough against narcotics trafficking, the Comptroller disclosed that officers of the Unit also intercepted 3,029 parcels of a synthetic strain of cannabis indica, weighing about 1,431 kilograms. He said the seizure significantly disrupted drug supply networks within the Command’s operational corridor.
Aliyu warned that drug trafficking fuels banditry, terrorism, and other criminal activities, urging those involved to abandon the illicit trade or face the full weight of the law.
He noted that eight suspects were arrested in connection with the various seizures, which have a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦3.32 billion.
As part of inter-agency cooperation, the seized cannabis was handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution. The NDLEA commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its diligence and assured that the drugs would be disposed of in line with existing laws.
The Customs Service reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening intelligence-led operations and collaboration with sister security agencies to curb smuggling and other transnational crimes.
