Seizures, revenue, export revival: How Controller Afeni is reshaping Idiroko border

For years, the Idiroko border in Ogun State has been synonymous with smuggling and illicit cross-border crime. However, a new enforcement drive by the Nigeria Customs Service led by Controller Oladapo Afeniis beginning to alter that ugly narrative, writes TOLA ADENUBI. Excerpts.

For decades, the Idiroko border corridor in Ogun State has occupied a complex place in Nigeria’s economic landscape. Sitting along one of West Africa’s busiest land routes, the corridor links Nigeria with neighbouring Benin Republic and serves as a critical gateway for trade under the ECOWAS framework.

Yet, alongside legitimate commerce, the area has long been notorious for smuggling networks that exploit the labyrinth of bush paths and creeks dotting the border.

Today, the narrative is shifting. Since his appointment as Acting Customs Area Controller of the Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Idiroko, Oladapo Afeni has embarked on an aggressive campaign aimed at dismantling smuggling syndicates while restoring legitimate trade at the border.

Through a mix of intelligence-driven operations, strategic patrols and closer collaboration with host communities, the command has intensified enforcement along the corridor, recording seizures worth billions of naira within a short period.

Evidence of the renewed crackdown became clear on March 16, 2026, when Afeni announced that the command had intercepted contraband worth over N1.4 billion within six weeks.

The seizures reflected the wide range of goods trafficked through the corridor. Among the intercepted items were 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice, equivalent to two trailer loads, 2,547 parcels of cannabis sativa, and 545 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) totalling 13,625 litres, roughly equivalent to a tanker load.

Other seized items included 36 cartons of Bardinet syrup, eight packs of perfume oil, 13 used tyres, 50 bags of imported sugar, eight bales of second-hand clothing, 15 sacks of used clothing, five sacks of used ladies’ handbags, two sacks of used footwear and two used vehicles.

For customs authorities, the seizures illustrate the evolving tactics of smugglers who often diversify their cargo in a bid to evade detection.

But beyond economic contraband, the command’s operations also revealed the growing threat of environmental and cultural trafficking.

During one of the operations, officers intercepted four live pangolins, one of the world’s most trafficked endangered species. The animals were subsequently handed over to Green Fingers Wildlife Conservation for protection and rehabilitation.

In another discovery that caught the attention of authorities, officers recovered two antiquities believed to be cultural artifacts being smuggled across the border.

Following expert assessment, the artifacts were transferred to the National Museum at Baptist Girls’ College, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, ensuring their preservation as part of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

Strategy

Afeni attributes much of the command’s success to a shift toward intelligence-based enforcement.

Rather than relying solely on routine patrols, the command has increased surveillance of known smuggling routes while strengthening intelligence gathering from border communities.

One such operation occurred on March 11, 2026, when officers acting on intelligence intercepted a truck with registration number APP-740-YD along the Agbara axis.

The truck was found carrying 2,539 kegs of vegetable oil, each containing 25 litres.Preliminary investigations revealed that the products had been smuggled through the creeks in smaller consignments before being consolidated for transport.

Just days earlier, on March 4, Customs officers intercepted a Sino truck loaded with 4,325 cartons of foreign spaghetti, each weighing 10 kilograms.

According to Afeni, the persistent smuggling of staple commodities poses serious challenges for local industries.

“By removing these illicit goods from the market, we are ensuring a competitive trade environment that protects our local vegetable oil industry and safeguards the health of our citizens,” he said.

He stressed that the command’s operations are aligned with the broader economic agenda of the federal government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises domestic production and economic stability.

The crackdown has also relied heavily on collaboration with other government agencies.

As part of this effort, the command formally handed over 2,547 parcels of cannabis sativa to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Idiroko Special Command.

Afeni disclosed that the cannabis shipment comprised 2,055 coconut-size parcels weighing 710 kilograms and 15 bread-size parcels weighing 381 kilograms.

Similarly, the recovered antiquities were transferred to the National Museum to ensure their proper documentation and preservation.

Such inter-agency cooperation, officials say, is essential to tackling the complex networks behind cross-border crime.

Revenue surge

While enforcement operations have intensified, the command has also recorded notable progress in revenue generation.

Afeni disclosed that the Ogun I Area Command generated N285.6 million during the period under review.

The figure represents an increase of N259.2 million compared with revenue recorded during the same period in 2025, translating to a remarkable 1,082 percent growth.

According to the acting comptroller, the revenue was generated from baggage assessments as well as auction sales of Premium Motor Spirit intercepted during anti-smuggling operations.

“I would like to reiterate that the revenue activities of the command comprise importation and exportation of legitimate goods, goods traded under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, and the assessment of merchandise contained in baggage,” Afeni explained.

Export drive

Perhaps the most symbolic development under Afeni’s watch has been the resumption of export activities at the Idiroko border post.

For years, the absence of structured export operations at the corridor limited its potential as a trade hub. But recent developments suggest a shift.

According to Afeni, the command recorded the movement of 95 metric tons of goods with a Free On Board value of N305.7 million.

The development marks a significant improvement compared with the same period in 2025, when no export trade was recorded at the border.

For traders and transport operators in the region, the revival of export activities represents renewed economic opportunities.

Afeni also credits the support of traditional rulers, community leaders and border residents for the command’s progress.

Border communities, he noted, have played an important role in providing intelligence that helps customs officers track smuggling routes.

Afeni further expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the management of the service for their support and confidence in the command.

Despite the recent successes, Afeni insists that the fight against smuggling remains far from over.

Smuggling networks, he said, constantly adjust their tactics in response to enforcement measures.But the command, he maintains, will continue to stay ahead through intelligence and strategic monitoring.

“Our war on smuggling continues. Although smugglers may attempt new tactics to evade our checks, they will remain unsuccessful. Through high-level intelligence and strategic monitoring, we are always one step ahead of economic saboteurs,” he stated.

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For now, the results appear to support his claim. With billions of naira worth of seizures recorded, endangered wildlife rescued, cultural artifacts preserved and legitimate export activities gradually returning, the Ogun I Area Command is beginning to redefine the story of the Idiroko border.

And at the centre of that transformation is a message the acting controller hopes will resonate across the corridor: the era of unchecked smuggling is drawing to a close.