Ogun Customs seizure nets ₦1.35bn contraband, including rice, fuel and cannabis, as officials intensify crackdown on smuggling routes

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun 1 Area Command, has seized contraband goods valued at ₦1.35 billion from multiple locations across the state and handed over 2,547 parcels of Cannabis Sativa to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Idiroko Special Command, in a sweeping anti-smuggling operation.

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The Acting Customs Area Controller, Olukayode Afeni, disclosed the development during a press conference at the command’s headquarters on Monday, stating that the items were smuggled into the country through creeks and illegal border routes.

The seized goods include 2,539 kegs of vegetable oil, 4,325 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 545 kegs of petrol, 13 used tyres, 50 bags of imported sugar, two used vehicles, and several other items.

Afeni described the operation as a decisive success, underscoring the command’s commitment to suppressing smuggling and protecting the nation’s economy from illicit trade.

He revealed that the Cannabis Sativa handed over to the NDLEA comprised 2,055 coconut-sized parcels weighing 710 kilogrammes and 15 bread-sized parcels weighing 381 kilogrammes.

According to Afeni, the breakthrough followed targeted intelligence-led patrols. Officers intercepted a truck along the Agbara axis on March 11, 2026, which was found to be transporting large quantities of vegetable oil smuggled in batches through waterways.

“This significant seizure followed an earlier operation on March 4, 2026, where the command intercepted a Sino truck loaded with 4,325 cartons of foreign spaghetti, highlighting a persistent trend in the smuggling of essential commodities,” Afeni said.

Additional seizures recorded within the period include Premium Motor Spirit equivalent to a tanker load, as well as second-hand clothing, handbags, footwear, perfume oil, and syrup products.

In a notable development, four live pangolins recovered during the operations were handed over to Green Fingers Wildlife Conservation, while two antiquities were transferred to the curator of the National Museum and Baptist Girls’ College, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, to preserve cultural heritage.

Afeni assured the public that the command, with the backing of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, would sustain its crackdown on smuggling networks.

“I want to assure the general public that the command will do all it takes to ensure that the smuggling of vegetable oil and other prohibited items is suppressed and, in due course, eradicated,” he said.

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The Ogun Customs seizure highlights intensified enforcement efforts as authorities move to dismantle smuggling routes and curb the influx of prohibited goods into the country.