Customs Seize 13,000 Parcels of Cannabis, Explosives, Arms at Idiroko as Ogun I Command Escalates Border Crackdown
Kathy Kyari
The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its border enforcement at Idiroko, intercepting massive consignments of drugs, arms and explosives amid growing security threats against its officers.
Acting Customs Area Controller, Oladapo Afeni, revealed that the command seized over 13,000 parcels of cannabis sativa, 1,315 explosives and 2,128 live cartridges in a sustained crackdown aimed at cutting off criminal supply routes along the border corridor.
Afeni disclosed the figures during a press briefing on January 29, 2026, warning that the intercepted items, if allowed into circulation, would have strengthened criminal networks and deepened insecurity.
“Attacking our officers will not deter the command from performing its legitimate duties,” Afeni said, reacting to recent violent attacks on customs personnel in the Akokoro area of the Iwoye–Imeko axis, where officers were reportedly shot at with live bullets and official vehicles vandalised.
He said enforcement operations throughout 2025 resulted in 487 seizures with a duty paid value of ₦4.13 billion. Items confiscated during the period included 22,725 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 66,725 litres of premium motor spirit, crystal meth, heroin, used vehicles, locally made firearms, arms and ammunition.
According to Afeni, the scale of the seizures underscored the gravity of the threat posed by smugglers operating across the border.
“The consequences of these items reaching criminal networks would have been devastating,” he warned.
The command, he added, has sustained the tempo in 2026. Within the first 29 days of the year alone, officers intercepted 3,738 parcels of cannabis sativa, 1,042 bags of rice, 780 used tyres and multiple firearms, with a combined duty paid value of ₦721.4 million.
Two traditional carvings seized during operations were also set aside for expert examination, raising concerns over the illegal trafficking of antiquities and Nigeria’s cultural assets.
Afeni said the command has continued to strengthen inter-agency collaboration, confirming that seized cannabis was handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), while arms and ammunition were transferred to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
Other regulated products, including 72 packs of Soduku plant extraction toothpaste and 84 packs of Soduku Vitamin D, were handed to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
“These handovers reflect our commitment to working with sister agencies to combat drug trafficking and the proliferation of small arms,” Afeni said.
The Acting Area Controller also reported a notable improvement in revenue performance, with the command remitting ₦454.6 million in 2025, a 47 per cent increase over 2024, and generating ₦106.2 million in January 2026 alone.
He attributed the growth to the dedication of officers and the cooperation of compliant traders, pledging to consolidate gains in revenue generation, anti-smuggling and trade facilitation.
Afeni also appealed to traditional rulers and community leaders in border communities to caution youths against involvement in smuggling, particularly narcotics and arms trafficking, which he said fuels violence and economic sabotage.
Afeni commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi—also Chairman of the World Customs Organization Council for his continuous support, and praised the resilience of officers of the Ogun I Area Command.
“As we continue in 2026, we remain resolute in delivering on our mandate to protect the economy, ensure security, and contribute to national prosperity,” he said. “No amount of intimidation, force, or threat will deter us from doing what we are employed to do.”
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