Kebbi Customs Seizes N109.6m Smuggled Goods, Records 36% Revenue Increase in One Month
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kebbi Area Command, has recorded significant operational and revenue breakthroughs within the first month of its new leadership.
The Area Controller, Comptroller Mahmoud Matawalle Ibrahim disclosed this during the Command’s maiden press briefing held on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at the Command headquarters in Birnin Kebbi.
According to a statement signed on Thursday by the command Public Relation Officer, CSC Mubarak Mustafa, the event was attended by representatives of key security and regulatory agencies, including the Assistant Comptroller General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Adamu Isah Gano, represented by Superintendent of Quarantine Muhammad Bashir Abdulrazaq; Commander of Narcotics, NDLEA Kebbi State Command, Mr. Rabiu Abdullahi Sokoto; and the Commander, Operation Whirlwind Zone B, Assistant Comptroller of Customs N.O. Edet, among others.
Speaking at the briefing, Comptroller Matawalle highlighted the Command’s major achievements since his assumption of duty, noting that officers under Operation Whirlwind Zone B made impressive strides in curbing the smuggling of petroleum products. According to him, the operation led to the interception of 14,750 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) valued at ₦8.85 million.
He added that the Command also seized an additional 20,975 litres of PMS worth ₦12.58 million, bringing the total quantity intercepted within the period to 35,725 litres. In line with extant regulations, he said, the seized fuel will be auctioned to the public, with all proceeds remitted to the Federal Government.
On revenue performance, Comptroller Matawalle announced a 36.13 per cent increase in the Command’s earnings for September compared to August. The Command, he said, generated ₦25,621,609.26 during the month, describing the improvement as a reflection of renewed dedication and effective enforcement strategies.
The Customs chief also revealed that the Command intensified its anti-smuggling operations, resulting in several notable seizures. Items confiscated included 100 bales of second-hand clothing, 444 laptop-sized wraps of Cannabis Sativa, 143 mini sacks of donkey meat, 140 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 100 bags of foreign parboiled rice, and 20 jerrycans of vegetable oil. The total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items, he stated, stood at ₦109,595,761.
In furtherance of interagency cooperation, Comptroller Matawalle formally handed over the seized 444 wraps of Cannabis Sativa to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and 143 sacks of donkey meat to the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).
Representatives of both agencies commended the Customs Command for its collaboration and pledged continued partnership to check the inflow and outflow of illicit goods across Nigeria’s borders.
Comptroller Matawalle reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to the Service’s core mandate of trade facilitation, revenue generation, and national security, while urging officers to remain disciplined and dedicated to duty.
