The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, has delivered a stern warning to smuggling syndicates after thwarting 473 illicit trade attempts across the South-West in just eight weeks, with seizures valued at ₦7.85 billion.
Customs Controller, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this at a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, stating that the unit intercepted contraband worth ₦5.5 billion in Duty Paid Value and narcotics valued at ₦2.35 billion through intensified surveillance and intelligence-driven operations.
“This is a clear message to economic saboteurs. There is no safe corridor for smugglers in the South-West,” Aliyu declared.
The seizures included 8,794 bags of rice, 22 used vehicles, 1,863 used refrigerator compressors, 328 bales of used clothing, 1,188 kegs of vegetable oil, 31,705 litres of petrol, 485 used tyres, 69 cartons of foreign spaghetti, and 531 cartons of foreign poultry products.
In a targeted crackdown dubbed *“OPERATION HAWK”*, officers confiscated 3,340 parcels of a synthetic strain of cannabis indica known as ‘Ghanaian loud’, weighing 1,540kg.
Aliyu warned that traffickers are constantly changing tactics. “Our analysis shows traffickers are devising new methods to sustain illicit trade. This demands stronger intelligence sharing among security stakeholders to cut the supply chain completely,” he said.
In a separate operation at Gbaji outpost on April 30, officers intercepted a green Toyota Highlander driven by 71-year-old Mr. Oni Iredia Martins along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor.
A search revealed 6.4kg of narcotics — 2.3kg of cocaine and 4.1kg of methamphetamine — with a street value of ₦2.35 billion.
All seized narcotics, including the 1,540kg of cannabis, will be handed over to the NDLEA for prosecution.
The unit also uncovered four cylinders of high-grade mercury, a controlled chemical under the Minamata Convention, hidden in a false compartment of a Toyota Avensis.
A suspect was arrested and granted administrative bail pending handover to NESREA.
Beyond enforcement, Aliyu said FOU ‘A’ recovered ₦97.7 million through compliance enforcement and post-clearance audits between February 3 and April 28, 2026.
He revealed that the newly commissioned Iperu Command Headquarters in Ogun State will serve as the hub for modern geospatial intelligence, featuring drone surveillance, satellite imagery, real-time vehicle tracking, and predictive analytics to map and monitor smuggling hotspots.
Aliyu commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for his leadership and praised officers for their role in protecting the nation’s borders from economic sabotage.
