Customs intercepts N1bn cocaine in Lagos and unveils paperless operations plan to boost border efficiency and curb trafficking

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, on Friday announced that the service had intercepted 22 wraps of cocaine weighing 25 kilograms and valued at N1bn, as the agency unveiled plans to commence paperless operations before the end of the second quarter of 2026.

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Adewale Adeniyi, represented at the briefing by Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Timi Bomodi, paraded the suspect and the seized consignment at the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos.

Adewale Adeniyi said operatives of the Seme Area Command intercepted a Toyota Highlander conveying 22 packages of suspected cocaine in the early hours of Tuesday, February 10, 2026, along the Badagry-Seme axis.

The seizure, described as a major enforcement breakthrough, followed actionable intelligence swiftly executed by officers. One suspect was arrested in connection with the consignment.

Adewale Adeniyi stated that the operation underscored the service’s resolve to safeguard Nigeria’s borders and combat narcotic trafficking, in line with Section 55(1)(c) of the NCS Act, 2023.

In compliance with statutory provisions and inter-agency agreements, the suspected cocaine, the vehicle used for conveyance and the arrested suspect were formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

Receiving the items, the Commander of the NDLEA Lagos Strategic Command, Abubakar Liman Wali, said the drugs carried an estimated street value of N40m per kilogram.

Abubakar Liman Wali commended the Nigeria Customs Service for the seizure, describing it as evidence of strengthened collaboration between both agencies.

Abubakar Liman Wali assured that the suspect and the seized items would undergo thorough investigation, field testing and forensic analysis to ensure all parties involved are brought to justice.

Beyond enforcement, Adewale Adeniyi announced that the service would transition to a fully paperless customs environment before the end of the second quarter of 2026.

The disclosure was made during the launch of the One-Stop-Shop initiative in Lagos, a unified operational framework designed to centralise risk interventions within a coordinated digital and physical system.

Adewale Adeniyi said the first phase of the transformation, covering core clearance, documentation and approval processes, would reduce physical interfaces, enhance data integrity and improve processing speed.

The One-Stop-Shop platform integrates valuation, customs processing centres, intelligence, enforcement, compliance monitoring and gate operations into a single workflow supported by digital tracking.

Adewale Adeniyi noted that recent national assessments and Nigeria’s Trade Policy Review at the World Trade Organization highlighted persistent delays, overlapping checks and uncoordinated procedures that raise the cost of doing business.

Also speaking, Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, said the digital platform would eliminate procedural bottlenecks by consolidating all risk interventions into a single interface.

In goodwill messages, the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, represented by Segun Oshidipe, and the National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, Emenike Nwokeoji, welcomed the initiative, describing it as a decisive step towards improved trade facilitation and enhanced competitiveness.

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The Customs intercepts N1bn cocaine operation and the planned digital overhaul signal a dual strategy of tightening border security while modernising trade processes in Africa’s largest economy.