Ogun Customs intercepts ₦4.6bn contraband, hands over 30,000 Cannabis parcels to NDLEA in 6 months

 

 

Maureen Aguta

 

The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its anti-smuggling campaign, intercepting contraband worth more than ₦4.6 billion in the first six months of 2026, including about 30,000 parcels of cannabis weighing over 12 tonnes, in one of the Command’s biggest enforcement breakthroughs in recent years.

 

The illicit drugs, alongside consignments of methamphetamine and heroin, have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), while military uniforms intercepted during separate operations were transferred to relevant security agencies.

 

Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, disclosed the figures during an interview with members of the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) in Idiroko, Ogun State, saying the Command has adopted an intelligence-driven enforcement strategy that combines tough border security with trade facilitation and community engagement.

 

According to Afeni, the seizures underscore Customs’ resolve to dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating along the Nigeria-Benin Republic border while ensuring that legitimate businesses are not disrupted.

 

He revealed that intelligence indicates that the cannabis, popularly known as “Ghana Loud,” originates from Ghana before passing through Togo and the Benin Republic into Nigeria, with the Imeko axis serving as the principal transit corridor for narcotics traffickers.

 

Afeni noted that the difficult terrain, poor telecommunications coverage and peculiar border geography—where some buildings straddle both Nigeria and the Benin Republic—continue to pose operational challenges. Despite these constraints, he said sustained intelligence gathering and strategic collaboration have enabled the Command to record significant enforcement successes.

 

To strengthen border surveillance, the Nigeria Customs Service is deploying geospatial intelligence technology that will provide real-time monitoring of border activities and enhance operational response through improved intelligence sharing from the Service Headquarters.

 

The Acting Area Controller, however, stressed that enforcement alone cannot eradicate smuggling, particularly in border communities where illicit trade has historically served as a source of livelihood.

 

He said the Command has therefore intensified engagement with traditional rulers, opinion leaders and community stakeholders to encourage lawful economic activities while improving intelligence gathering.

 

“The encouraging development is that our host communities are now working closely with us. We recently held extensive engagements with indigenous leaders in Idiroko, and they are supporting efforts to combat the illegal movement of narcotics, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and other prohibited goods,” Afeni said.

 

He added that while the Command remains uncompromising against smugglers, it has deliberately removed obstacles to legitimate trade by reducing multiple checkpoints along the corridor to only two strategic locations at Ajilite and Ihumbo.

 

According to him, the measure has eased cargo movement for compliant traders without weakening enforcement.
The strategy is also yielding economic benefits. Afeni disclosed that the Command generated ₦663.26 million in revenue as of the end of June 2026 and recorded a remarkable resurgence in export activities.

 

During the second quarter, Ogun I Customs facilitated the export of 20,972 metric tonnes of products, including white talc, crushed thermal coal and compressed natural gas products, with a Free on Board (FOB) value exceeding ₦1 billion—a significant turnaround from the absence of export activity during the corresponding period in 2025.

 

Beyond its core mandates, the Command is expanding its Corporate Social Responsibility footprint under the Customs Cares Initiative, with ongoing projects including a hospital in Imeko, a secondary school in Ijofin and a jetty in Ijofin that is about 40 per cent completed.

 

Afeni said the projects are designed to improve living standards in border communities and reinforce the message that sustainable development, legitimate trade and effective border security must go hand in hand.