Customs seize ₦72.6m contraband, tighten grip on smugglers in Adamawa

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has dealt another major blow to smugglers operating within Adamawa State, seizing contraband goods worth over ₦72.6 million in less than two weeks. The Comptroller of the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, Garba Bashir, speaking at a press conference in Yola on Wednesday, reaffirmed the agency’s relentless crackdown on smuggling networks.

“In Adamawa and Taraba States, smugglers will not have fresh air. We have started strangling them, and we will continue to strangle and suffocate them until smuggling activities are purged out of the states,” the Comptroller declared.

Highlighting the latest successes, he revealed that on March 8, Customs operatives intercepted a Toyota Corolla loaded with petrol (PMS) at the Fufore-Gurin axis, preventing an attempt to smuggle the fuel into a neighbouring country. Five days later, on March 13, officers raided the Jimeta waterside (Bakin Kogi) along the River Benue, uncovering 240 drums of petrol, each containing 220 litres, which were about to be illegally transported to Cameroon. Another major seizure was recorded on March 14, when intelligence-led operations at Fufore-Gurin led to the recovery of 425 jerrycans of PMS, each holding 25 litres.

In total, 70,175 litres of petrol were confiscated, alongside the seized vehicle, further crippling the illicit fuel trade in the region.

The Comptroller credited these achievements to enhanced intelligence sharing, technological leverage, capacity building, and coordinated border management. He praised the support of the NCS leadership under Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, as well as collaboration with other security agencies.

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He also issued a stern warning to smugglers, urging them to abandon their illicit trade. “The Nigeria Customs Service is out to facilitate legitimate trade and is ever ready to crack down on smuggling cartels for the nation’s economy to have fresh air,” he stressed.

The Comptroller called on patriotic citizens to report any suspicious trans-border activities and urged the media to intensify advocacy against smuggling.

“Smuggling has eaten deep into the nation’s economy and undermined our security. For a better and prosperous Nigeria, we need the unwavering support of all Nigerians in this fight—it is not a one-man business,” he added.

With these latest interceptions, the Adamawa/Taraba Customs Command has once again reaffirmed its commitment to securing the nation’s borders and protecting its economic interests.