LAGOS, Nigeria — The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service says it has intensified enforcement across the South-West corridor, recording 144 interceptions with a combined duty-paid value of over N3.3 billion in roughly five weeks. Customs officials say the seizures reflect a shift from predictable checkpoint operations to mobile, intelligence-led deployments.
Speaking in Ikeja, Lagos, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu said the unit’s strategy now combines flexible field operations, tighter internal supervision and measurable performance targets for officers. According to him, the objective is not only to increase seizures, but also to reduce collusion risks, improve compliance enforcement and restore public confidence in Customs operations.
Items intercepted include 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice (50kg each), 77 bags of foreign sugar, 21 used vehicles, 3,362 jerrycans of vegetable oil (25 litres each), 20,700 litres of petrol, and 915 bales of used clothing. Officers also seized a 20-foot container loaded with stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets. Customs said eight suspects were arrested in connection with the interceptions.
A major part of the operation targeted narcotics supply routes. Aliyu said operatives intercepted 3,029 parcels of synthetic cannabis (“Ghanaian Loud”) weighing about 1,431kg, describing it as a significant disruption of illicit distribution networks in the zone. He linked drug trafficking to wider insecurity, arguing that narcotics circulation fuels criminality at a time Nigeria is contending with banditry and terrorism pressures.
Customs also reported additional enforcement outcomes beyond headline contraband. These include the seizure of 581 used refrigerator compressors, cited as hazardous imports under environmental and safety regulations tied to Nigeria’s domestic law and Basel Convention obligations. The unit further disclosed that demand notices issued for misdeclaration and related breaches recovered about N36.8 million within the review period.
The latest figures underscore both the scale and diversity of smuggling pressure around Lagos and adjoining routes. For trade and security analysts, the near-term test will be whether this tempo can be sustained through coordinated prosecution, inter-agency cooperation and continuity in intelligence-based patrols. Customs says it will keep expanding collaboration with sister agencies and border communities as it pushes to suppress trans-border crime and protect lawful trade
