ABUJA, Nigeria, August 13, 2026: Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, has rejected allegations of worsening smuggling, revenue leakage, recruitment impropriety and succession manipulation within the service, describing the claims as a misrepresentation of its operations and administrative processes.
Maiwada made the clarification on Thursday, August 13, 2026, in response to an investigative report published on August 7 that alleged intensified smuggling along the Seme, Idiroko, Ilaro, Ipokia and Igbeti-Kishi corridors, as well as irregularities surrounding the use of the 846 valuation code at the Apapa, Tin Can Island and PTML Area Commands.
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The Customs smuggling claims come at a time when the service is under growing pressure to demonstrate that its technology-driven reforms are protecting government revenue while making legitimate trade easier.
The Nigeria Customs Service said its enforcement operations continue to produce regular seizures along the corridors mentioned in the report.
Maiwada stressed that the agency’s objective was to contain smuggling rather than suggest that the illegal movement of goods could be eliminated completely.
“Our responsibility is to reduce smuggling to the barest minimum, not to claim that it can be completely eradicated,” Maiwada said.
The service’s position is supported by recent enforcement records.
In March 2026, Customs officers at the Apapa Area Command, working with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, intercepted 3,398 cartons of codeine-based syrup concealed among household items.
The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation said the seizure had a duty-paid value of ₦3.398 billion.
Such operations illustrate the continuing enforcement burden facing Customs, although individual seizures alone cannot establish the overall level of smuggling across Nigeria’s extensive land and maritime borders.
The most detailed part of the service’s response concerned the 846 valuation code, which has attracted controversy among vehicle importers and customs agents over the years.
Customs explained that the code is intended for vehicles with non-standard or non-compliant Vehicle Identification Numbers, including specialised heavy equipment, classic vehicles and customised models.
Standard vehicles, according to the service, are assessed through manufacturer-linked databases, while applications under the 846 procedure undergo additional approval by valuation officers and Area Controllers.
The Customs Service’s own digital records confirm that the 846 process has been incorporated into its wider technology architecture. Its official 846 e-Application platform describes the system as a mechanism for processing vehicles with non-standard VINs and allows declarants to submit and track applications electronically.
The system, however, has a history of debate. In 2025, the service took steps to prevent standard-VIN vehicles from being cleared improperly under the 846 procedure, following concerns over its application.
Industry representatives subsequently sought clarity and transitional arrangements, while Customs maintained that the code remained legitimate for vehicles with non-standard VINs.
The dispute matters because valuation directly affects the amount of import duty collected by the government and the final cost faced by importers and, ultimately, consumers.
Maiwada said post-clearance audits could expose discrepancies and result in Demand Notices to recover duties that were initially under-collected.
He argued that such interventions form part of the service’s revenue-protection mechanism.
The service has significant financial incentives to tighten that system.
Customs reported revenue collection of ₦1.751 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, while its first-half 2025 collection reached ₦3.682 trillion, exceeding the six-month projection by ₦390.2 billion, or 11.85 per cent.
Those figures provide important context to Customs’ insistence that digitalisation and tighter controls have strengthened revenue mobilisation.
They do not, however, by themselves resolve allegations concerning individual transactions or commands, which would require documentary examination or independent investigation.
The service also rejected claims that the recruitment of Assistant Superintendents of Customs II was manipulated.
According to Customs, the recruitment exercise was authorised by the Nigeria Customs Service Board and conducted under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and Federal Character Commission guidelines.
Successful applicants were issued provisional offers subject to medical verification, background checks and other required procedures.
The service similarly denied allegations that senior officers were being positioned unfairly through manipulated succession arrangements.
Maiwada said promotions were based on seniority, merit, promotion examinations and available vacancies, rather than personal preference.
He also described leadership training for Deputy Comptrollers as part of a broader human-capital strategy aimed at improving trade operations, intelligence management and executive leadership.
The claims come against the backdrop of a wider transformation within Customs, which has increasingly placed technology at the centre of revenue collection, border enforcement and trade facilitation.
The service’s official platform identifies enhanced revenue collection, seamless trade facilitation and stronger border security among its core objectives.
That transition has not been without difficulties. In 2025, Customs acknowledged technical problems affecting the transmission of certificates required for processing through its B’Odogwu platform.
The service said the issues were eventually resolved and described stakeholder training and technical support as part of its response.
Against that background, allegations concerning digital valuation systems and revenue leakage are likely to attract particular attention because they touch directly on the credibility of Customs’ reform programme.
Maiwada said the service remains subject to oversight from the Federal Ministry of Finance, the National Assembly, the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation and anti-corruption agencies.
He added that Customs would cooperate with any legitimate investigation by the relevant statutory authorities.
“The management maintains a firm, intolerant posture toward corruption, revenue leakage or administrative misconduct,” the service stated.
The response therefore leaves two issues running in parallel.
Customs is defending its enforcement record, revenue performance and administrative procedures, while allegations of misconduct, where specific evidence exists, remain matters that can be tested through audits and independent oversight.
For a service entrusted with both border protection and significant public revenue, that distinction is important.
Strong seizure figures and higher collections demonstrate activity, but sustained public confidence will ultimately depend on transparent systems, accountable officers and credible mechanisms for investigating any verified wrongdoing.
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For now, the Nigeria Customs Service has firmly rejected the allegations and maintained that its current reforms are designed to close revenue loopholes, strengthen enforcement and make legitimate trade more predictable.
Victory Emmanuel is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
