Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has made a firm pledge to combat the illegal importation of arms and ammunition, intensifying its zero‑tolerance policy on the smuggling of dangerous goods as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections. At a strategic border engagement in Ogun State, the acting Area Controller of the Ogun 1 Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, reaffirmed the Service’s determination to prevent the flow of small arms, light weapons and illicit narcotics through the state’s land borders. Speaking during a courtesy visit to the palace of the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, Afeni emphasised that the proximity of Yewaland to international frontiers makes the community a critical partner in national security. “Our borders must not become gateways for elements seeking to destabilise our democratic process,” Afeni told the monarch, adding that the NCS is fully committed to ensuring that the election season is free of violence by cutting off the supply of weapons to unscrupulous individuals.
The commitment to securing the borders comes against the backdrop of a sustained crackdown on smuggling across the country. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, the Service recorded a series of major seizures and operational successes. On 15 March 2026, officers of the Apapa Area Command intercepted two containers carrying a massive consignment of codeine‑based syrup valued at N3.39 billion, concealed as household utensils. Just two weeks later, the Kwara Area Command displayed seized goods worth more than N478 million, including 1,107 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 317 jerrycans of suspected smuggled petrol, 120 sacks of illegally mined lithium ore and several vehicles loaded with contraband.
The Service has not limited its anti‑smuggling drive to the South‑West. In the North, the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, under the leadership of Acting Area Controller Usman Adamu, reported a raft of interdictions between January and early March 2026. Officers seized smuggled goods valued at over N1.01 billion, including undeclared foreign currencies, precious metals, illicit pharmaceutical products, trafficked wildlife and second‑hand clothing. One operation at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport uncovered undeclared foreign currencies totalling 106,500 US dollars, 134,256 Saudi riyals, 28 Chinese yuan and 20 Ghanaian cedis concealed in a passenger’s luggage. Another outbound passenger was intercepted with 22.8 kilograms of silver bars, also undeclared.
The Service has also taken delivery of modern surveillance technology, including drones and high‑resolution scanners, to aid in the detection of hidden contraband. At the EMEA Security Conference held in Cape Town in late March, Deputy Comptroller Sanusi Saulawa outlined the NCS’s shift towards intelligence‑led risk management systems that can identify high‑risk consignments before they reach domestic markets. He stressed that no single agency can address the complexities of illicit trade alone, and that the Service has therefore expanded collaboration with drug control agencies, product standards regulators and consumer protection bodies. Joint operations, he said, have been strengthened to dismantle smuggling networks that exploit Nigeria’s porous borders and complex supply chains.
The Comptroller‑General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, has meanwhile declared total war on smugglers, urging them to seek alternative means of livelihood. In Yola, during a briefing on the successes of Operation Whirlwind Zone ‘D’, Adeniyi was represented by the National Coordinator of the operation, Deputy Comptroller Abubakar Aliyu. Aliyu revealed that within a six‑week period, the unit had recorded 47 instances of seizures in Adamawa State alone, with a combined monetary value of N93,029,800. Items seized included 64,410 litres of Premium Motor Spirit packed in jerrycans and three large drums, all intended to be smuggled out of the country. The operation also netted a used DAF fuel tanker carrying 50,000 litres of PMS, which was intercepted along the Mubi‑Uba road following intelligence on product diversion. The truck was handed over to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority for further action.
The border engagement in Ogun State became the public face of the Service’s renewed pledge. Afeni outlined a multi‑pronged strategy: establishing direct communication channels between border community leaders, increasing visibility and conducting 24‑hour surveillance of known smugglers’ routes and unapproved crossings, and subjecting transit goods to rigorous inspection to prevent the concealment of lethal items. The monarch, Oba Olugbenle, commended the NCS for its proactive stance and affirmed the readiness of the Yewa people to support the operation. “The throne will continue to sensitise our youths and residents against aiding or abetting any form of illegal trade,” the monarch said. “We want an election that is free of violence, and that starts with ensuring that weapons do not find their way into the hands of unscrupulous individuals.”
The Service has also recorded successes in other theatres. The Borno/Yobe Area Command intercepted 180 bags of a psychoactive substance known as ‘Akuskura’, each bag containing about 500 bottles, bringing the total to approximately 90,000 bottles. In a separate operation, the Command seized a consignment of endangered wildlife including live antelopes, civet cats, eagles and tortoises, species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The Federal Operations Unit Zone C handed over to the NDLEA a consignment of illicit drugs valued at N2.6 billion, comprising over 1.1 million Tramadol tablets, 21,245 bottles of Codeine syrup and sacks of cannabis.
The Customs Area Controller in Ogun State did not limit his consultations to Ilaro. He also paid strategic visits to the Onihumbe of Ohunbe, the Olu of Owode and the Obele frontier, meeting with traditional rulers to underline that national security is a collective responsibility. He thanked the monarchs for their continued role in maintaining peace and urged them to sensitise their subjects, particularly the youth, against the dangers of smuggling. As the 2027 elections draw nearer, the Service has made clear that its anti‑smuggling operations will not be relaxed. The zero‑tolerance policy, backed by intelligence, technology and community engagement, is designed to deny criminal networks the weapons and illicit goods that could fuel violence during the electoral season. With hundreds of billions of naira worth of contraband already seized this year and dozens of suspects arrested, the NCS is sending an unmistakable signal: the country’s borders will no longer serve as a highway for those who seek to destabilise Nigeria’s democracy.
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