Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command, has announced a major boost in its operational capacity, recording seizures worth over ₦582 million while unveiling new security and welfare upgrades within the last five months.
Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Patrick Ntadi, made this known on Thursday during a press briefing in Apapa, noting that the developments reflect the Service’s renewed drive under Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi to safeguard Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Ntadi revealed that the Command successfully reclaimed an area outside its perimeter fence that had been occupied by hoodlums, replacing it with a new security post as the first line of defense. He also highlighted other infrastructural upgrades including refurbished patrol vehicles, a modern canteen, and new toilet facilities.
“To give the Command a professional identity, we constructed a befitting signpost with Greenfield landscaping, projecting Western Marine as Nigeria’s premier Marine Command,” he said.
On enforcement, Ntadi announced several high-profile seizures between May and September 2025, including:
• 1,827 bags of foreign parboiled rice worth ₦127.8m
• 174 sacks of Ammonium Sulphate and 86 sacks of Polypropylene (PP) valued at ₦4.3m
• 17 sacks of Cannabis Sativa containing 1,312 loaves worth ₦168.6m
• 42 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) worth ₦1.94m (auctioned)
• Multiple boat engines and locally made fibre boats
The seizures, with a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦582.2m, were described by Ntadi as “concrete steps in protecting the economy, safeguarding public health, and deterring illicit trade.”
He confirmed that the cannabis seizures had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Receiving the drugs, Assistant Controller General of Narcotics, Obadiah Buba Wakawa, hailed the synergy between both agencies and praised Ntadi for his “exceptional track record” in the fight against drug trafficking.
The high point of the briefing was the decoration of 36 newly promoted officers, including Chief Superintendent of Customs and Command PRO, CSC Okopi. Ntadi urged the officers to uphold integrity and diligence, reminding them that “promotion is a call to greater responsibility.”
Reassuring stakeholders, Ntadi stressed that the Command remains committed to its mandate despite challenges.
“With improved infrastructure, renewed morale, and the continued support of stakeholders, we are better positioned than ever to secure Nigeria’s territorial waters,” he said.