Ogun I Customs Command Seizes N2.47bn Worth of Contraband, 2026 Range Rover, Cannabis Sativa
By Ranmilowo Ojalumo -The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun I Area Command, Idiroko, has intensified its crackdown on smuggling activities along the state’s border corridors, intercepting contraband with a total Duty Paid Value of N2.469 billion between August and September 2026.
The seizures include 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 3,893 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as Indian Hemp, weighing 1.878 tonnes, 428 pieces of pneumatic tyres, 8,675 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in kegs, 24 bales of second-hand clothing, four sacks of used shoes and 500 litres of diesel in kegs.
The Command also seized a 2026 Range Rover Sport Autobiography P530 valued at N417,011,982.
The Customs Area Controller, Ogun I Command, disclosed this on Thursday during a major operational briefing at the Command Headquarters, Idiroko, attended by sister security agencies, traditional rulers, trade stakeholders and members of the press.
He warned smugglers and other economic saboteurs operating along the Ogun border corridors that the Command would continue to maintain a tough stance against illicit trade.
According to the Controller, since assuming leadership of the strategic Command, his administration has pursued a clear and unwavering mandate of strengthening border security, suppressing smuggling to the barest minimum, facilitating legitimate trade and deepening stakeholder engagement across Ogun State.
He said the Command had recorded remarkable and tangible results through concerted operational strategies, intelligence-led enforcement and enhanced inter-agency collaboration.
Despite the prevailing economic challenges along the land borders, the Controller said the Command had remained committed to legitimate trade facilitation while ensuring maximum revenue collection.
He explained that through diligent duty collection, baggage assessment and meticulous physical examination at designated border points, the Command generated millions of Naira into the Federation Account, despite traditional transborder bottlenecks.
The Controller further disclosed that the Command had optimised its import and export verification frameworks to fast-track compliant trade while maintaining strict regulatory oversight on sensitive goods, including Micra stone, CNG, white talc and crushed thermal coal.
However, the major highlight of the briefing was the Command’s anti-smuggling operations, which he said had dealt a severe blow to illicit trade networks operating across the border corridors.
He disclosed that between August and September 2026, officers and men of the Command intercepted substantial quantities of contraband with a total Duty Paid Value of Two Billion, Four Hundred and Sixty-Nine Million, One Hundred and Fifty-Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Twenty-Three Naira, Sixty-Eight Kobo (N2,469,153,523.68).
The seized items comprised 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice; 3,893 parcels of Cannabis Sativa weighing 1.878 tonnes; 428 pieces of pneumatic tyres; 8,675 litres of PMS in kegs; 24 bales of second-hand clothing; four sacks of used shoes; and 500 litres of diesel in kegs.
In one of the major highlights of the briefing, the Controller announced the seizure of a 2026 Range Rover Sport Autobiography P530 worth Four Hundred and Seventeen Million, Eleven Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Two Naira (N417,011,982.00).
In furtherance of inter-agency collaboration, the Command handed over the 3,893 parcels of Cannabis Sativa to the NDLEA, Idiroko Special Command, for further investigation and prosecution.
The Controller stressed that border security was a collective responsibility, revealing that the Command had, in the past ten months, hosted high-level joint engagements and security meetings aimed at harmonising operations along the Ogun border corridors.
He said operational synergies had been deepened with the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, NDLEA and environmental management agencies to effectively counter cross-border crimes.
The Command, he added, had also sustained constructive dialogue with traditional rulers, youth leaders and border community associations in an effort to build mutual trust and reduce hostility during enforcement operations.
Speaking on Corporate Social Responsibility, the Controller said the Command’s commitment went beyond enforcement to fostering community growth and environmental stewardship.
He also disclosed that the Inter-Command Athletic Competitions held in August and September 2026 reinforced physical fitness and camaraderie among security personnel, with Ogun I emerging as champion in volleyball.
Concluding the briefing, the Controller attributed the Command’s accomplishments to the dedication, resilience and integrity of its officers and men, as well as the unwavering support of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, PhD, and his management team.
He commended the officers and men for their commitment under challenging conditions and thanked host communities, traditional rulers and media partners for their cooperation and trust.
“To the perpetrators of economic sabotage and illegal border activities, our message remains unequivocal: Ogun I Command will continue to be a hostile zone for uncustomed goods and illicit trade. We remain resolute in safeguarding Nigeria’s economic interests and national security,” he warned.
