The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone 'A' of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted contraband valued at over N5.5 billion along the Lagos–Abidjan corridor and thwarted 473 smuggling attempts across the South-West within eight weeks.
Seized Items Displayed
During a display of the seized items at the Customs Training College in Ikeja, the unit's Comptroller, Gambo Aliyu, stated that intensified anti-smuggling operations resulted in the seizure of 8,794 bags of foreign rice (equivalent to about 15 trailer loads), 22 used vehicles, 1,863 used refrigerator compressors, and 328 bales of used clothing.
Additional Seizures
Other items seized include 31,705 litres of premium motor spirit, 1,188 jerrycans of vegetable oil (25 litres each), 531 cartons of poultry products, 485 used tyres, 69 cartons of spaghetti, and quantities of foreign sugar. Aliyu also revealed that the unit intercepted four cylinders of mercury weighing 80kg each, describing the substance as hazardous and regulated under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
Operation Hawk
The comptroller further stated that the unit launched a special anti-drug operation codenamed Operation Hawk to disrupt narcotics trafficking networks. He said officers seized 3,340 parcels of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as 'Ghana Loud', weighing 1,540kg under the operation.
Arrests and Drug Interception
Aliyu noted that the seizures were made across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Ondo states, with several suspects arrested in connection with the offences. In a separate operation along the Lagos–Abidjan corridor, customs officers intercepted a Toyota Highlander carrying 6.35kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of N2.35 billion. The suspect, identified as a 71-year-old Nigerian, was arrested.
Handover and Recovery
The comptroller handed over the seized drugs to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution, while the mercury consignment will be transferred to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA). He added that the unit recovered N97.7 million from underpaid duties between February 3 and April 28, 2026, through demand notices and compliance enforcement.
Effectiveness and Technology
Aliyu said the total duty paid value of the seized items stood at N5.5 billion, describing it as a reflection of the scale and effectiveness of operations targeting economic saboteurs. He added that the unit is advancing digital surveillance, including geospatial intelligence, satellite imagery, drone monitoring, and predictive analytics, to track smuggling routes and improve enforcement efficiency.
