The Area 1 Comptroller Oladapo Afeni disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing in Ogun, where he highlighted the command’s operational achievements for 2025 and the early gains recorded in 2026.
He revelaed that the command generated and remitted N454,672,406 to the Federation and Non-Federation Accounts in 2025, compared with N275,835,602 collected in 2024.
“This clearly shows that the revenue profile of the command has significantly increased by about 47 per cent. We are determined to do more and surpass what was collected last year,” he said.
Afeni added that the command has continued the upward trend in 2026, generating N106 million between January 1 and January 28, 2026, representing an 84.3 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025.
He attributed the performance to the diligence of officers, cooperation of compliant traders, baggage assessment collections and proceeds from auctioned seized petroleum products.
Speaking on the command’s anti-smuggling operations, he disclosed that the command recorded about 497 seizures in 2025 through intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency collaboration.
Items intercepted included 22,725 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 2,669 kegs of premium motor spirit, 2,128 cartridges, 13,332 parcels of cannabis sativa, used clothing, foreign used vehicles and tractors, tyres, vegetable oil, tomato paste, sugar, insecticides, spaghetti, explosives, firearms, heroin and motorcycles used as means of conveyance.
He said the total duty paid value of seizures in 2025 stood at N4.03 billion, compared with N1.7 billion recorded in the previous year, representing an increase of about N2.3 billion.
“These achievements are a testament to the commitment of our officers to combating smuggling activities, protecting the economy and safeguarding the well-being of society,” he stated.
Speaking on the 2026 operations, Ayeni said the command has already intercepted 1,042 bags of smuggled rice, 3,738 parcels of cannabis sativa, 780 used tyres, locally made rifles, cartridges, 473 kegs of PMS, used vehicles, suspected unregistered pharmaceutical products, and traditional carvings suspected to be antiquities.
He noted that the duty paid value of the seizures made between January 1 and January 29, 2026, was N721.45 million.
Afeni also raised concern over the rising seizures of arms, ammunition and narcotics, warning that such items, if allowed into circulation, could worsen insecurity.
He stressed that arms and ammunition are on the absolute prohibition list of the Nigeria Customs Common External Tariff.
The seized cannabis sativa were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, arms and ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, and unfit pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
He also registered displeasure on incessant attack on customs officers in border area, particularly Okokun Boarder area by suspected smugglers,with operations vehicles damaged.
“Attacking our officers will not deter the command from performing its legitimate duties. Such actions will no longer be tolerated,” he warned.
He called on traditional rulers, community leaders and youths to shun smuggling, especially trafficking in narcotics and arms, and urged the public to provide credible intelligence to support customs operations.
The controller commended the Comptroller-General of Customs and the officers and men of the command for their professionalism and dedication, assuring that the command would remain resolute in revenue generation, trade facilitation and the fight against smuggling in 2026.
While receiving illegal arms and ammunition the Director General of National centre for the control of Small Arms and Light Weapons. (NCCSALW), and former CP Ogun police command Abiodun Alamutu commeded the strength of men of Customs officers, higlighting the importance continued synergy to combat smuggling activities.
He assured that all intercepted fire arms and ammunition would be documented accordingly.
Similarly, while receiving the cannabis, and other narcotics items, the Commander NDLEA Ekundayo Williams posited that fighting against illicit drugs and substance is not limited to the NDLEA alone, but a collaborative efforts of other security agents would enhance the fight.
He commended Area 1 officers for their diligence, adding that all received items would be documented and also proceed on investigation should there a lead to end the distribution chains in border area and the country at large.
"We are going to have an investigation on it and see if it leads to any further suspicious to break the distributions chain".
