Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service has intensified its war against economic saboteurs, making a string of high-impact seizures across the Southwest valued at more than ₦1.18 billion in Duty Paid Value (DPV).
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at the Unit’s headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu declared that the Unit remains “firm and focused on safeguarding our nation’s borders, protecting the economy, and combating all forms of illicit activities.”
Shuaibu revealed that through intelligence-led operations and advanced surveillance strategies, the Unit intercepted 125 smuggling attempts within just six weeks, an achievement he described as a testament to “professional resilience and inter-agency collaboration.”
The operation led to the confiscation of a wide array of contraband, including:
• 5,015 bags of 50kg foreign rice (about eight trailer loads)
• 15 used vehicles (popularly called Tokunbo)
• 640 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, weighing 431.8kg
• 460 jerrycans of PMS (11,500 litres)
• 143 bales of used clothing, 2 jumbo sacks of used shoes, and 1 sack of used clothing
• 390 bottles of Codeine, 310 foreign-branded drugs, and 19 cards of Tramadol
• 210 used tyres
• One 20-foot container declared falsely but found to contain **752 cartons of Calcium Lactate
The Comptroller noted that the seizures were recorded in Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, and Lagos States, while four suspects are currently in custody and would be handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution.
Reinforcing inter-agency synergy, Shuaibu disclosed that the confiscated narcotics and pharmaceuticals would be transferred to the NDLEA and NAFDAC for further investigation.
In addition, between September 1 and October 7, 2025, the Unit recovered ₦39.2 million through demand notices issued for under-declared or undervalued imports.
The Customs chief reminded the public that the 2016 ban on the importation of foreign parboiled rice through land borders remains in full force. He warned smugglers who persist in defying government policy that “our men will continue to inflict heavy losses on their ill-fated mission.”
“These seizures underscore our resolve to continuously confront economic saboteurs who threaten national security and undermine federal government policies,” Shuaibu declared.
While vowing sustained enforcement, Shuaibu reaffirmed the Unit’s commitment to facilitating lawful trade:
“We are not against legitimate business. Our goal is to ensure that genuine traders operate without unnecessary hindrance, while smugglers face the full weight of the law.”
He concluded by assuring that the FOU Zone A would continue leveraging technology, intelligence, and inter-agency cooperation to protect Nigeria’s borders and secure the nation’s economic future.