The Ogun 1 Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized contraband with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N2.47bn between August 14 and September 2026, including 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice and 3,893 parcels of cannabis.

The Acting Customs Area Controller of the command, Olukayode oladapo Afeni disclosed this on Thursday during an operational briefing at the command’s headquarters in Idiroko, Ogun State.

Afeni said the seizures were the result of intelligence-led operations and increased collaboration among security agencies operating along the border corridor.

According to him, the command intercepted 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice weighing 50kg each, 3,893 parcels of Cannabis Sativa with a combined weight of 1,878kg, 428 pneumatic tyres, 8,675 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 24 bales of second-hand clothing, four sacks of used shoes and 500 litres of diesel.

He said the combined DPV of the seizures was N2,469,153,223.68.
One of the major seizures, Afeni said, was a 2026 Range Rover Sport Autobiography P530, with a DPV of N417,011,982.
He questioned the decision by the owner of the vehicle to allegedly evade the payment of the required duties.
“You can imagine someone could have money to buy this and omit its dues,” he said.

The state Customs  boss  said the command had maintained its focus on facilitating legitimate trade while strengthening border security and curbing smuggling.

He added that the command had improved import and export verification processes to reduce delays for compliant traders while maintaining regulatory controls on sensitive commodities.

The Customs chief also disclosed that 3,893 parcels of Cannabis Sativa seized by the command would be handed over to the Idiroko Special Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.

Afeni also highlighted inter-agency cooperation as a key component of the command’s operations, saying it had held joint security meetings and engagements with the Nigerian Army, police, immigration service, NDLEA and environmental agencies.

He said the command had also engaged traditional rulers, youth leaders and border community associations in an effort to build trust and minimise tensions during enforcement operations.

Receiving the cannabis on behalf of the NDLEA, the commander of the agency’s Idiroko command, Oluwafemi Akande, commended Customs officers for their role in preventing illicit drugs from entering Nigeria.

Akande said the growing volume of hard drugs intercepted along the corridor made stronger collaboration among law enforcement agencies necessary.

He explaines that the agencies had resolved to make Idiroko a “no-go area” for drug traffickers and prevent Nigeria from being used as a transit route for illicit drugs.

“We have made Idiroko no-go area, no passage for drugs,” Akande said.

He  noted that  the NDLEA could not be present at every location, making the presence of Customs, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and other agencies critical to effective border enforcement.

The NDLEA boss commended the Customs controller and his officers for what he described as a “dogged fight” against drug trafficking.

He said the seizures handed over to the NDLEA were significant because allowing such quantities of drugs into the country would compound existing challenges associated with drug abuse.

The NDLEA commander urged journalists, residents of border communities, religious organisations and other stakeholders to support campaigns against drug abuse and trafficking.

“Once we have drugs within our system, we are playing with the future of the country,” he said.