The interception of 321 military camouflage face caps and 27,831 units of unregistered pharmaceutical products has emerged as one of the major highlights of the Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun I Area Command’s seizure of contraband worth ₦3.15 billion within 15 days of a new leadership taking charge.
The seizures, which included codeine-based cough syrups, injections, eye drops and unregistered dietary supplements, were recorded alongside foreign rice, illicit drugs, smuggled vehicles and other prohibited goods, raising concerns about public safety, national security and the economic consequences of cross-border smuggling.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Abdulhamid Ibrahim, disclosed this on Thursday during his maiden press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Idiroko, Ogun State. Ibrahim assumed office on September 29, 2026.
He said the interceptions reflected the command’s renewed commitment to intelligence-driven enforcement, warning smugglers and their collaborators that his administration would maintain zero tolerance for smuggling and illegal trans-border trade.
Giving details of the operations, Ibrahim said patrol officers, acting on intelligence, intercepted three heavy-duty trucks on October 2, 2026, conveying foreign pasta concealed alongside other goods. The trucks, comprising two Sino Howo vehicles and an Iveco Elco, carried 2,740 cartons of foreign Siddo Pasta, 6,000 cartons of Ginny Pasta and 6,500 cartons of Doga Pasta, respectively.
On October 4, another truck belonging to Dangote, intercepted along the Afamin-Dangote-Itori axis, was found conveying 100 bags of 50-kilogramme foreign parboiled rice concealed among mica and gypsum stones.
The command recorded another significant interception on October 11 when officers stopped a 10-wheeler truck carrying 321 military camouflage face caps and 27,831 units of unregistered pharmaceutical products. The items included codeine cough syrup, injections, eye drops and dietary supplements without National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control registration numbers.
According to Ibrahim, the five intercepted trucks and their contents had a Duty Paid Value of ₦1.235 billion and would be forfeited to the Federal Government in line with Section 248 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
“While seizures of unwholesome medicaments and restricted military camouflage caps may appear vastly different, both represent severe threats to our national security, public safety, and human well-being,” he said.
Other items intercepted within the 15-day period included 4,013 wraps of cannabis sativa, one wrap of Canadian Loud, 950 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 660 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 106 bales of second-hand clothing, 1,320 pairs of new shoes, 3,700 pairs of used shoes and 13 foreign-used vehicles. The vehicles included a 2022 Lexus LX600, a 2019 Toyota Venza and three 2013 Honda CR-Vs.
The total Duty Paid Value of all the seized items stood at ₦3,153,591,000. Ibrahim attributed the achievement to intelligence-led operations and the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, reaffirming his determination to deploy lawful means to enforce compliance with trade regulations.
As part of inter-agency cooperation, the command handed over the seized cannabis sativa and Canadian Loud to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s Idiroko Special Command for further investigation and destruction.
Receiving the seized drugs, NDLEA Idiroko Special Command Commander Olufemi Akande commended the collaborative efforts of security agencies, stressing that the interception of illicit drugs and restricted tactical items was important to disrupting criminal supply networks. He reiterated that Idiroko would remain hostile territory for drug traffickers and urged sustained cooperation among Customs, the NDLEA, the Nigeria Immigration Service and other security agencies in tackling smuggling and drug trafficking.
