By Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted expired noodles, foreign parboiled rice, Cannabis Sativa, pharmaceutical products, cigarettes and other prohibited items with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N365.16 million.
The seizures were made during separate enforcement operations carried out by the Command, with the intercepted items including 1,306 sacks of expired and waste noodles, 1,268 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 373 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, pharmaceutical products and 310,000 sticks of Time/Yes cigarettes.
Other items seized included a used speedboat, a water bike and three vehicles.
Customs Area Controller, Seme Area Command, Comptroller Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, disclosed the seizures at a press briefing on Tuesday, saying the interception of the expired noodles followed credible intelligence received by the Command.
According to him, the consignment had been deceptively declared as food items, but physical examination revealed that several of the noodles had deteriorated and were visibly decomposing.
He said intelligence available to the Command indicated that the products were destined for repackaging, relabelling and eventual distribution in the Nigerian market.
Kaila said the interception underscored the wider implications of Customs enforcement beyond revenue collection and border security.
“By intercepting these products, the Nigeria Customs Service has once again demonstrated that border security is also a form of public health protection,” he said.
The Command also intercepted 1,268 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50 kilogrammes, after the consignments were smuggled into the country through illegal routes.
Kaila said the seizure formed part of the Command’s efforts to curb illicit importation, protect government revenue and support the Federal Government’s agricultural policies.
He warned that continued smuggling of foreign rice could undermine domestic production and threaten the livelihoods of Nigerian farmers.
In its anti-drug operations, the Command intercepted 373 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, alongside 90 packs of Tramaking 250mg and 69 packs of Royal Tapentadol 250mg.
The Customs boss said the seized pharmaceutical products and illicit drugs posed significant public health risks, while the smuggled cigarettes were brought into the country outside the required regulatory and duty payment framework.
The vehicles intercepted during the operations comprised a 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser, a 2016 Toyota RAV4 and a 2010 Nissan Versa.
The total Duty Paid Value of all the seized items displayed at the briefing was put at N365,163,709.
Kaila warned smugglers that the Command would continue to intensify surveillance and enforcement along the Nigeria-Benin border.
“To those engaged in smuggling activities, our message remains unequivocal: Seme is no longer a safe corridor for economic sabotage,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Seme Area Command generated N19.84 billion between January and July 2026, surpassing the N15.94 billion collected throughout the whole of 2025.
The seven-month revenue figure represents an increase of N3.90 billion, or 24.45 per cent, over the Command’s total collection for 2025.
Kaila attributed the improved revenue performance to enhanced compliance, sustained engagement with stakeholders and stronger operational efficiency.
He said the revenue performance demonstrated that effective enforcement could be pursued alongside trade facilitation, stressing that the Command remained committed to creating an enabling environment for compliant traders while disrupting smuggling networks.
The Customs Area Controller also reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s economic reforms, facilitating legitimate trade and promoting regional commerce under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He disclosed that the seized illicit drugs and unregistered pharmaceutical products had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation and appropriate action.
Kaila commended sister security and regulatory agencies for their cooperation and intelligence sharing, while also acknowledging the media for its role in keeping the public informed about the activities and enforcement efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service.
