Apapa Customs Intercepts ₦6.4bn Contraband, CGC Commissions Analytics Centre
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says its sustained efforts to support Nigeria’s economic growth through the promotion of legitimate trade have ensured that compliant traders receive the necessary assistance to expand their businesses. At the same time, the Service has maintained a firm stance against illegal imports, deploying intelligence-driven anti-smuggling operations to prevent the entry of prohibited goods through Nigerian ports.
Demonstrating this commitment, the Nigeria Customs Service, through the Apapa Command, intercepted 13 containers loaded with contraband items, including expired pharmaceutical products and illicit drugs valued at ₦6.38 billion.
Presenting the seized items to journalists at the PMT Container Terminal in Apapa, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the Service remains determined to stop criminal networks from exploiting trade channels to smuggle dangerous goods into the country.
He noted that as trade volumes through Nigerian ports continue to increase, the responsibility of the Customs Service has become even more critical. According to him, thousands of containers arrive daily carrying goods essential to businesses, industries and the national economy. While Customs is mandated to facilitate legitimate trade, it must also ensure that criminal syndicates do not take advantage of the system to import prohibited or falsely declared items.
Adeniyi explained that over the past year the Service has intensified the deployment of technology-driven enforcement tools, particularly Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) scanning systems, to improve cargo examination and operational efficiency at the ports. These systems allow officers to quickly examine containerised cargo, detect irregularities in declarations and identify suspicious consignments without disrupting lawful trade.
Operational data from Apapa Port indicates that 3,236 consignments were processed through the Orange channel (scanning), 5,490 consignments through the Yellow channel (documentary checks), while 21,373 consignments underwent full physical examination under the Red channel. In addition, 1,118 consignments passed through the Blue channel and 149 through the Green channel, reflecting varying degrees of facilitation based on compliance and risk assessment.
The CGC noted that the current pattern shows that physical examination still accounts for the bulk of cargo control procedures, highlighting the need to expand the use of scanning technology. He said strengthening non-intrusive inspection, combined with intelligence-based risk management, would allow Customs to focus physical checks on high-risk shipments while ensuring faster clearance for compliant traders.
According to him, the Service plans to significantly increase the volume of cargo scanned at major ports across the country — including Apapa, Tin Can Island, Port Harcourt, Onne and Calabar — before the end of the year. This strategy, he explained, will improve enforcement accuracy, reduce port congestion and further enhance trade facilitation.
Adeniyi stressed that achieving this objective depends largely on the level of compliance among traders and stakeholders within the port community. With improved compliance, Customs would rely more on technology-based risk management rather than time-consuming manual inspections. He therefore encouraged traders to embrace the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, which offers trusted operators faster and more predictable cargo clearance processes.
He said the seizures displayed were the direct result of the Service’s intelligence-driven enforcement approach, supported by scanning technology and targeted physical examinations. Through detailed risk profiling and non-intrusive inspections, Customs officers flagged several containers with suspicious cargo profiles that required further scrutiny.
Subsequent examinations uncovered 13 containers loaded with various contraband items, including:
- Expired pharmaceutical products such as Mixagrip Cold Caplets, Ladinax tablets, chloroquine injections and diclofenac tablets.
- Large consignments of unregistered drugs including Hyegra 200 and Sildenafil Citrate.
- 800 cartons of codeine (TPL CSC) concealed inside toilet flushing cisterns and sanitary wares.
- Cartons of Artesunate 60 injections.
- Restricted security equipment such as bulletproof vests, helmets, walkie-talkies and tactical torches imported without the required End-User Certificates.
Additional seizures included containers loaded with expired food items such as muffin biscuits, Primo energy drinks and tomato paste brands. Officers also intercepted 1,700 cartons of codeine cough syrup hidden among luxury food flasks, as well as another consignment containing 1,575 cartons of codeine-based CSMIX concealed alongside electric kettles.
Furthermore, officers discovered 13 jumbo bags of Cannabis Sativa (Colorado) weighing 347.57 kilograms, hidden inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle.
Altogether, the seized items were valued at ₦6,381,237,988, representing prohibited, expired and falsely declared goods.
The CGC warned that the importation of expired medicines and controlled drugs poses serious risks to public health, while attempts to smuggle codeine-based products are deliberate efforts to fuel substance abuse and weaken the country’s healthcare system.
He emphasised that Apapa Port would no longer serve as a safe haven for smugglers hiding behind legitimate trade documentation. Under the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, the seized consignments are liable to forfeiture, while those responsible will face penalties, revenue recovery and possible prosecution.
Adeniyi reassured legitimate traders that Customs enforcement is not directed against lawful trade but against criminal activities. He stressed that compliant traders would continue to benefit from facilitation measures and predictable cargo clearance.
Meanwhile, the CGC also commissioned the CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi Analytics Centre at the Apapa Command, marking a significant step toward intelligence-driven customs operations and improved welfare for personnel.
Speaking during the event, the Customs Area Controller of Apapa Command, Emmanuel Oshoba, said the newly constructed two-storey facility was designed with a forward-looking, data-driven approach to border security. The complex houses the Command’s state-of-the-art analytics centre, the Customs Intelligence Unit, a clinic for officers and other key operational offices.
Oshoba said the facility reflects the CGC’s vision to leverage modern technology and analytics to combat smuggling, strengthen national security and promote legitimate trade.
He added that the project was made possible through the Customs-PACT (Partnership for Cooperation in Trade) initiative and expressed appreciation to stakeholders whose support helped bring the project to completion.
While commissioning the facility, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi described the Apapa Command as a flagship command of the Service, leading in trade facilitation, revenue generation, cargo volume and enforcement activities. He commended the Command for naming the centre after him, noting that the facility will play a critical role in strengthening enforcement against high-risk consignments.
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