LAGOS, SEPT 10, 2026— Criminals are getting creative, and Customs is getting smarter.
The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, has intercepted prohibited goods worth *₦43.59 billion (Duty Paid Value)*, including over 7.6 tonnes of cannabis, nearly 170,000 bottles of codeine, 108 drones, expired drugs, and disposable nappies.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the seizures to journalists in Lagos on Thursday, warning that importers of dangerous goods are now hiding them inside legitimate cargo to beat the system.
“The ₦43.59 billion is the combined Duty Paid Value — that is, duties and taxes assessed on the cargoes — not the street value of the prohibited items,” Adeniyi clarified.
He said the trend has made intelligence-led profiling and targeted examinations non-negotiable if Nigeria must stop narcotics, controlled pharmaceuticals, and security-sensitive equipment from entering the market.
“Narcotics are packed among vehicle spare parts and used vehicles. Controlled drugs travel beneath household goods. Restricted equipment is declared as ordinary electronics,” the CGC said.
How the Seizures Were Made
According to Adeniyi, Customs has upgraded cargo profiling and risk assessment across commands through the B’Odogwu platform. The Service has also activated an INTERPOL Data Centre at its Abuja headquarters to tap into global security databases.
Collaboration has deepened with NDLEA, NAFDAC, the Office of the National Security Adviser, and international partners.
Here’s the breakdown of what was intercepted:
Cannabis; Three containers with a total of 15,245 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 7,624kg or 7.6 tonnes.
Container 1: 4,777 parcels weighing 2,388.5kg, concealed with automobile spare parts, coffee mix, oats, and 3 vehicles.
Container 2: 8,287 parcels weighing 4,145kg.
Container 3: 2,181 parcels weighing 1,090.5kg, hidden alongside foreign rice, spare parts, and lithium batteries.
Codeine: One 40-foot container holding 1,700 cartons of codeine syrup — 169,998 bottles — concealed beneath household items.
Others:108 drones, containers of expired drugs, and disposable nappies were also seized.
Adeniyi said the cannabis seizures were the result of joint intelligence operations with NDLEA and international security partners, followed by documentary checks, cargo profiling, and physical examination.
He stressed that Customs will continue to tighten controls at the ports to block the movement of unsafe and prohibited goods, while still facilitating legitimate trade.
The seized items will be handed over to relevant agencies for further investigation and prosecution.
