Inside Custom’s push to sanitise South-western borders

Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service has intensified its anti-smuggling campaign under Comptroller Aliyu Gambo, recording major seizures and revenue recoveries while targeting illicit drugs, prohibited goods and Customs fraud across Nigeria’s South-Western borders, writes TOLA ADENUBI.

Since assuming the leadership of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, in December, 2025, Comptroller Aliyu Gambo, has stepped up the Nigeria Customs Service’s enforcement activities across the South-West, tightening the noose around smugglers, revenue cheats and importers of prohibited goods.

From foreign parboiled rice concealed in trucks to illicit drugs, unregistered pharmaceutical products, used vehicles, foreign-used clothing, poultry products, tyres, vegetable oil, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and endangered wildlife products, the unit has recorded a series of seizures running into billions of naira.

The enforcement drive, according to the Service, aims not only to stem the influx of prohibited goods but also to protect legitimate businesses, safeguard government revenue, support domestic production, and prevent products that could threaten public health and national security from entering the country.

One of the latest enforcement operations intercepted 220 consignments of prohibited and smuggled goods with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3.24 billion.

The unit also recovered N728.98 million in revenue through enforcement activities targeting smuggling, revenue evasion, under-declaration and other forms of Customs fraud.

The scale and diversity of the seizures underscore the broad nature of the unit’s mandate. According to the NCS, the intercepted items included 4,956 bags of foreign parboiled rice weighing 50kg each, equivalent to nine trailer loads.

The unit also seized 12 foreign-used vehicles; 2,683 parcels of synthetic cannabis (Sativa) weighing 1,439.9kg; 49 parcels of Ghanaian Loud weighing 26.1kg; one parcel of crystal methamphetamine weighing 0.35kg; 13 parcels of granular cannabis weighing 1.35kg; and 240,000 tablets of Tramadol.

Other seizures included 12,000 tablets of Hypnox; 22 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg; 964 25-litre jerrycans of PMS, equivalent to 24,100 litres; 26 cartons of foreign vegetable oil containing four 5-litre units each; 686 cartons of foreign poultry products; 414 bales of used clothing; and 2,947 pieces of used tyres, among other prohibited and smuggled goods.

For Gambo, the seizures represent more than statistics. They reflect an enforcement strategy designed to protect the Nigerian economy and citizens from the consequences of illicit trade.

He described the revenue recovery as encouraging, stressing that the Unit would intensify efforts to identify and recover government revenue lost through customs fraud.

He also urged importers, exporters and licensed Customs agents to make accurate declarations and comply fully with extant Customs laws and regulations.

“The unit would continue to facilitate legitimate trade while taking decisive action against individuals and businesses engaged in smuggling and revenue evasion,” he said.

Gambo noted that the interception of foreign parboiled rice, vegetable oil, poultry products, foreign-used vehicles, used clothing and other prohibited goods would help protect domestic industries, support national food security and safeguard legitimate government revenue.

Beyond economic considerations, however, the Customs boss highlighted the public health implications of the enforcement campaign. He said the interception of illicit drugs, unregulated pharmaceutical products and other controlled substances would help protect public health and prevent the circulation of substances capable of undermining the wellbeing of citizens, particularly young Nigerians.

The recovery of elephant tusks, he added, also reinforced the Service’s role in supporting national efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and protect endangered species.

While the unit has adopted a hard stance against smuggling, Gambo has emphasised that enforcement must not come at the expense of legitimate trade.

He said the unit’s activities were being implemented within a balanced framework that combines robust border enforcement with trade facilitation, assuring compliant traders of the service’s commitment to a fair, predictable and transparent trading environment.

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According to him, the successes recorded so far were driven by enhanced intelligence gathering, risk profiling, inter-agency collaboration, intelligence fusion and the cooperation of stakeholders and members of the public.

He warned, however, that the unit would sustain its zero-tolerance approach to smuggling, revenue fraud and other forms of economic sabotage.

The NCS, through FOU Zone A, has consequently reiterated its commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s economic objectives by protecting domestic production, promoting compliance, facilitating legitimate trade and preventing the entry and circulation of prohibited and harmful goods.

The unit has also acknowledged the contributions of sister agencies, stakeholders, border communities and members of the public whose intelligence and cooperation have supported its enforcement operations.

Gambo called for sustained partnership from the business community and the general public, maintaining that collective compliance and vigilance were essential to consolidating gains in revenue recovery, border protection, public safety and national economic development.

For stakeholders operating around the major seaports, the renewed enforcement drive has also been felt beyond the immediate area of operation of FOU Zone A.

A clearing agent at the Apapa Port, Chukwudi Onovo, commended Gambo for instilling discipline among officers of the Unit and strengthening the fight against the importation of prohibited and harmful goods.

Onovo said the renewed vigilance by the Customs Unit had helped prevent illicit drugs, expired pharmaceutical products, fake medicaments and other contraband from gaining entry into the country, warning that such products posed serious threats to public health and national security.

According to him, Gambo’s intervention had made a significant difference in the level of scrutiny of cargoes exiting the Apapa and Tin Can Island seaports, particularly in the detection and interception of suspicious consignments.

“Before now, there were concerns about how some of these prohibited items found their way into the country. But for the vigilance of Comptroller Gambo and his officers, a lot of illicit drugs, expired and fake medicaments, among others, would have flooded the country,” Onovo said.

He added that the Customs Unit’s insistence on proper documentation, physical examination of suspicious cargoes and enforcement of import regulations had made it increasingly difficult for unscrupulous importers to exploit loopholes in the system.

Onovo noted that beyond revenue collection, the role of the Nigeria Customs Service was critical to protecting Nigerians from goods capable of undermining public health, economic stability and national security. He, therefore, urged the Customs Unit to sustain the tempo of enforcement while ensuring that legitimate importers and clearing agents were not unnecessarily subjected to delays or other bottlenecks in the course of cargo clearance.

Another clearing agent operating at the Tin-Can Island Port, Kenneth Lawson, also commended Comptroller Aliyu for his aggressive approach to tackling revenue leakages through under-declaration and other forms of customs infractions.

Lawson described the volume of debit notes recovered from importers and clearing agents under Comptroller Aliyu as unprecedented, saying the development had sent a strong warning to those who previously attempted to manipulate cargo declarations to evade the appropriate duties.

“The debit note recovered from importers and clearing agents by Comptroller Aliyu is second to none in the history of the Service,” Lawson said.

He explained that sustained enforcement had changed the behaviour of some importers and their agents, particularly those who previously relied on under-declaration as a means of reducing their customs obligations.

“Because of Comptroller Aliyu, importers and clearing agents are now scared of under-declaration because of the eagle eye of the officers of the unit,” he stated.

According to him, the increased scrutiny of declarations and cargo documentation had made it more difficult for importers to deliberately misrepresent the value, quantity, description or other details of their consignments.

Lawson, however, stressed the need for Customs to continue to combine enforcement with transparency and predictability, arguing that a system where importers clearly understand their obligations would encourage voluntary compliance and improve trade facilitation. He said recent developments at the ports demonstrated that effective customs administration was not only about generating revenue but also about protecting the economy, securing the borders and ensuring that legitimate businesses operated on a level playing field.

“Sustained enforcement, coupled with technology-driven cargo examination and greater accountability among officers and stakeholders, would be critical to consolidating the gains recorded at the ports,” he stated.

The development highlights the increasingly complex role of customs enforcement in Nigeria’s economic architecture.

While seizures remain one of the most visible indicators of anti-smuggling operations, the wider objective is to create an environment where compliant businesses can compete fairly, government receives the revenue due to it and prohibited goods are prevented from reaching consumers.

For Gambo and the FOU Zone A team, the challenge now is to sustain the momentum, deepen intelligence-led enforcement and strike the delicate balance between securing the nation’s borders and facilitating legitimate trade.

As smugglers and revenue fraudsters continue to adapt their methods, the effectiveness of the Unit will increasingly depend on its ability to remain ahead through technology, intelligence, inter-agency cooperation and strong stakeholder engagement.

For stakeholders who have welcomed the renewed enforcement, the expectation is that the current momentum will be sustained, not only to increase customs revenue but also to make Nigeria’s borders more secure, transparent and hostile to illicit trade.