The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted consignments containing 7,624 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, 169,998 bottles of codeine syrup and other prohibited, restricted and expired goods at the Apapa Area Command in Lagos.
The seized items, displayed to journalists in Lagos, have a combined duty-paid value of ₦43.59 billion, according to the Customs Service.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizures demonstrated the Service’s expanding role in protecting national security and public health, beyond its traditional revenue collection mandate.
He said the operation reflected the NCS commitment to preventing prohibited and security-sensitive goods from passing through Nigeria’s ports.
Cannabis seized in three containers
According to the NCS, three 40-foot containers were intercepted with a combined 15,245 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 7,624kg.
One of the containers, HAMU 3086682, contained 4,777 parcels weighing 2,388.5kg, alongside automobile spare parts, coffee mix, oats and three vehicles.
Another container, FANU 1933352, contained 8,287 parcels of cannabis weighing 4,145kg, as well as three vehicles.
The third container, MSKU 3941778, contained 2,181 parcels weighing 1,090.5kg, alongside foreign parboiled rice, automobile spare parts, lithium batteries, a PV combiner box, turmeric and fish products.
The Service also intercepted container TCKU 7653306, which contained 1,700 cartons of codeine syrup comprising 169,998 bottles concealed beneath household items.
Adeniyi described the scale of the codeine seizure as disturbing, warning of the potential consequences of illicit distribution and abuse of controlled substances.
He said substance abuse, particularly involving codeine, remained a national concern because of its links to violent behaviour, family disruption and loss of productive lives.
According to him, the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 mandates the Service to prevent prohibited and uncontrolled goods from entering the country.
Customs intercepts 108 drones
The Apapa Area Command also displayed 108 high-definition dual-camera drones recovered from an intercepted container.
Adeniyi acknowledged that drones have legitimate applications but warned that their importation without the necessary approvals and documentation could create security risks.
He said equipment capable of surveillance, reconnaissance and other security-related functions required appropriate regulatory clearance, including security approvals and end-user certificates.
“Restricted and security sensitive equipment requires the appropriate security approvals, end-user certificates and documentation before clearance,” he said.
The Customs boss warned that consignments arriving without the required documentation would be detained.
“Our ports will not be a route through which capability reaches those who are working against the security of this country,” Adeniyi said.
Five containers of expired goods seized
The Service also intercepted five containers containing expired products, including tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets and disposable nappies.
Adeniyi said the products posed potential health risks to consumers, particularly children and women, if they entered the market without adequate regulatory controls.
He added that some of the seized items had been handed over to relevant government agencies for further action.
1,282 bales of used clothes intercepted
The enforcement operation also resulted in the interception of 1,282 bales of used clothing across three containers.
The containers—MRKU 6185100, MRKU 5535966 and SEKU 4685299—contained 425, 435 and 422 bales respectively.
Other seized items included assorted automobile spare parts and other undeclared or restricted goods.
Adeniyi stressed that the enforcement operations were not designed to frustrate legitimate trade, urging compliant businesses to continue their activities.
He said the NCS remained committed to facilitating legitimate cargo while strengthening risk-based enforcement at the ports.
“Scrutiny will fall on the consignments, transactions and operators that present identifiable risk,” he said.
The Comptroller-General warned importers involved in false declarations, concealment, undervaluation or the importation of prohibited goods that the Service would continue to target such practices.
“No port, border station or logistics channel will be permitted to serve as a safe haven,” he said.
Adeniyi commended officers of the Apapa Area Command for the seizures and acknowledged the cooperation of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and international partners.
The latest seizures form part of the NCS’s continuing enforcement efforts at Nigeria’s ports to curb the smuggling of prohibited goods, controlled substances and consignments capable of threatening national security and public health.
