Adeniyi: “No Port Will Be Safe Haven For Drug Barons And Smugglers”
Felix Mbata, Lagos state
The Nigeria Customs Service has recorded one of its biggest seizures this year with the interception of 13 containers at the Apapa Area Command worth ₦43,588,618,859.00 in Duty Paid Value. The haul includes 7,624kg of cannabis sativa, 169,998 bottles of codeine syrup, 108 high-definition drones, 1,282 bales of used clothing and five containers of expired consumables.
Speaking at the Command today Thursday 10th September, 2026, the Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR PhD, said the operation was intelligence-led and a clear signal that the Service is moving beyond revenue collection to secure the nation’s supply chain.
CG Adeniyi told newsmen that the containers were not an isolated case but part of a deliberate pattern where narcotics, controlled drugs, restricted equipment and unsafe goods arrive together through the same agents and syndicates under false declarations. He said the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 charges the Service with border security and safety of imports, not just revenue.
According to him, concealment methods have evolved. “Narcotics are packed among vehicle spare parts and used vehicles. Controlled drugs travel beneath household goods. Restricted equipment is declared as ordinary electronics. A container of that kind will pass an untargeted inspection without difficulty,” he explained.
To respond, Customs has strengthened cargo profiling and risk assessment nationwide. The Service has deployed the B’Odogwu platform to integrate trade data and in July launched an INTERPOL Data Centre at Headquarters in Abuja, the 8th in Africa, giving officers access to over 152 international databases. The Service has also deepened cooperation with the NDLEA, NAFDAC, the Office of the National Security Adviser and international partners.
It was through this system that Apapa Command intercepted the 13 containers. Three of them contained cannabis sativa. Container HAMU 3086682 held 4,777 parcels weighing 2,388.5kg hidden with spare parts, coffee mix, oats and three vehicles. Container FANU 1933352 yielded 8,287 parcels weighing 4,145kg with three vehicles. Container MSKU 3941778 contained 2,181 parcels weighing 1,090.5kg concealed with rice, spare parts, batteries and cartons of fish and turmeric. Altogether the narcotics containers carried 15,245 parcels weighing 7,624kg, well over seven and a half tonnes.
The Command also intercepted container TCKU 7653306 with 1,700 cartons containing 169,998 bottles of codeine syrup concealed under household items. The CG said the abuse of codeine among young Nigerians has fueled violent conduct, family breakdown and loss of productive lives, and that a single container of that size could supply the illicit trade for a long period.
On security threats, operatives extracted 108 units of high-definition dual-camera drones from container MSKU 9282528. While noting that drones have lawful uses, Adeniyi warned that in wrong hands they become tools for surveillance, reconnaissance and delivery. He said security agencies have already encountered them in the field and warned importers that restricted equipment must have proper security approvals and end-user certificates. “Our ports will not be a route through which capability reaches those who are working against the security of this country,” he declared.
Three other containers, MRKU 6185100, MRKU 5535966 and SEKU 4685299, were loaded with 1,282 bales of used clothing. Five more containers were found with expired goods meant for human use. These are SUDU 7593139 with expired tomato ketchup, PCIU 2834954 with expired antiseptic liquid, ZCSU 8749546 with expired vaginal tablets, and PONU 7890827 and MSKU 1524590 both loaded with expired disposable nappies. The CG said such products endanger children, women and other consumers who have no means of detecting the risk at point of purchase.
He attributed the cannabis interceptions to credible intelligence from international partners and joint work with the NDLEA, which will take over the narcotics for further investigation and prosecution. The CG also urged importers to embrace compliance. He said the Advance Ruling mechanism allows importers to get Customs’ position on classification before shipment, while the Authorised Economic Operator programme offers faster clearance for compliant traders. “Compliance is not an obstacle to business; it is an advantage over competitors who lack it,” he said.
CG Adeniyi commended the officers and men of Apapa Area Command for their vigilance and thanked NDLEA, NAFDAC and international partners. He concluded that Nigerian ports must serve lawful commerce and industrial growth, not transit points for drugs, dangerous equipment or expired goods. “The Service will continue to hold that line, and we ask the public and the trading community to hold it with us.”
Conclusively, with ₦43.5 billion worth of dangerous goods taken off the streets, the Apapa seizure reinforces Customs’ new posture. The message to smugglers is direct: every container will be profiled, every risk will be targeted, and no channel will be allowed to serve as a safe haven.