NIGERIA: Customs Vows Sustained Crackdown Says Expired Flour, Hard Drugs Among ₦1.99bn Seizures At Seme

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intensified its anti-smuggling drive with the interception of expired flour, narcotics, and other prohibited items valued at over ₦1.99 billion.

The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, disclosed this during his maiden media briefing held on Thursday, at the COWA Complex, Seme Border.

According to him, the seizures were made through coordinated operations and intelligence-led enforcement efforts in line with the zero-tolerance policy of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.

“Smuggling is an economic sabotage that robs the nation of vital revenue and endangers public welfare. Any resource diverted into smuggling is a colossal waste — it should instead be channelled into legitimate trade that supports the economy,” Adenuga stated.

The most significant seizure, he revealed, involved five trucks loaded with 10,000 bags of expired flour imported from Egypt, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦1.21 billion.

The operation was jointly executed with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Adenuga explained that consuming such expired products posed grave health risks, including food poisoning and severe infections, while also undermining local industries and consumer trust.

Other items seized include 1,104 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, 120 packs of Tramadol 120mg, 2,043 bags of foreign parboiled rice (50kg each), 150 bales of second-hand clothing, 169 bottles of cough syrup with codeine, and five used vehicles.

Two suspects were arrested in connection with the drug seizures, while the confiscated substances and culprits have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Seme Command, for further investigation and prosecution.

Highlighting the command’s performance, the Area Controller disclosed that ₦1.5 billion was generated in September 2025, up from ₦531.4 million in August 2025, representing an impressive 182% increase.

In addition, the command facilitated the export of 53,989.46 metric tonnes of goods with a Free on Board (FOB) value of ₦7.97 billion, in support of the Federal Government’s economic diversification drive.

Adenuga reaffirmed the command’s commitment to sustaining its crackdown on smugglers through intelligence sharing and stronger inter-agency collaboration along the Lagos–Abidjan corridor.

“We will continue to enforce compliance and protect the nation’s borders against those who attempt to undermine Nigeria’s economic integrity,” he assured.