Customs Busts Cargo Diversion Ring, Seizes 20 Containers Worth ₦769.5m in Kano–Jigawa Axis
Kathy Kyari
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has uncovered and dismantled a major cargo diversion network in northern Nigeria, intercepting 20 diverted transit containers with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦769,533,666 across the Kano/Jigawa Area Command.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the seizures during a press briefing in Kano on Friday, 19 December 2025, describing the operation as the outcome of sustained intelligence-led enforcement targeting organised cargo diversion syndicates.
According to Adeniyi, the interceptions, which occurred between the second and fourth quarters of 2025, form part of the Service’s broader strategy to safeguard government revenue, protect national security, and uphold Nigeria’s credibility in international trade.
“Cargo diversion is a grave offence that undermines government revenue, compromises national security, and damages Nigeria’s standing in international commerce. The Nigeria Customs Service will not hesitate to deploy all lawful measures to detect, deter, and punish offenders,” the Comptroller-General stated.
He revealed that the seized containers contained a wide range of unlawfully diverted and prohibited items, including vitrified tiles diverted from the Kano Free Trade Zone with a DPV of ₦228.6 million, diesel engine oil, polyester materials, used clothing, printed and lace fabrics, medical consumables, and Zamzam bottled water. Some of the goods were found to be in violation of the Common External Tariff (CET) regulations.
Adeniyi further disclosed that while one container remains under detention pending the conclusion of legal proceedings, two containers of medical consumables have been forfeited to the Federal Government following a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court, Kano Division, on 10 December 2025.
The Comptroller-General also confirmed the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of one Abdulrahman Sani Adam for container diversion. The convicted offender was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with an option of a ₦3 million fine, a development Adeniyi described as a clear warning to criminal networks operating within the logistics and trade ecosystem.
In a move to tighten control over transit cargo nationwide, Adeniyi announced the near-complete deployment of electronic container tracking devices across the country. He said the system allows real-time monitoring of containers, ensures route compliance, and triggers alerts in cases of tampering from ports to inland destinations.
Reaffirming the Service’s zero-tolerance stance, the Adeniyi warned that smugglers and their collaborators would face prosecution, forfeiture of goods, and loss of trading privileges.
He urged importers, clearing agents, and logistics operators to comply strictly with approved transit procedures and to report suspicious activities to the nearest Customs formation, stressing that compliance remains critical to trade facilitation and national economic security.
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