Nigeria Customs Service Seizes ₦10 Billion In Illegal Goods At Lagos Port
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 16 containers of prohibited goods valued at over ₦10 billion at the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, in a major crackdown on illegal and substandard imports. The operation, announced by Comptroller General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi on Monday, 11 August 2025, highlights the agency’s commitment to protecting public health and national security.
During a press briefing at the Apapa Area Command, Adeniyi disclosed that the seizures comprised a range of illicit items, including firearms, ammunition, expired pharmaceuticals, counterfeit drugs, and banned used clothing. A notable discovery was a container initially cleared after inspection but later found, through intelligence-led re-examination, to contain 202 cans of Colorado Loud, a Canadian hard drug weighing 101kg. Further scans revealed concealed arms, including two pump-action rifles, 25 ammunition cartridges, a Smith & Wesson pistol with 55 rounds, and related accessories. The consignment was linked to a Lagos resident, Babatunde Ogidiolu.
The haul also included seven containers of expired drugs and prohibited medicaments, three containers of expired food items, primarily margarine, and three containers of banned used clothing. Adeniyi emphasised that these items posed significant risks to Nigerians’ health and contributed to insecurity. Five suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizures, which followed weeks of coordinated intelligence gathering and collaboration with other agencies.
The NCS handed over the confiscated items to relevant authorities, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). Representatives from these agencies praised the NCS for its diligence, with CP Alamutu Abiodun (Rtd), Director of NCCSALW’s South-West Zone, noting that the seizure of arms would help curb the spread of small arms in Nigeria.
Adeniyi reiterated the NCS’s firm stance against illegal imports, stating, “Our resolve to safeguard the national economy and the well-being of our citizens remains unwavering. We will continue to collaborate with our partners to ensure harmful and counterfeit products do not reach Nigerian markets.” The operation has been lauded as a critical step in protecting consumers and reinforcing trade regulations, with the NCS pledging to sustain rigorous enforcement supported by intelligence.
