The Nigeria Customs Service has announced the seizure of 16 containers loaded with expired, dangerous and prohibited items at the APMT terminal loading bay, Apapa Port, Lagos.
The seizures, made possible through collaboration or joint operations with other security agencies is estimated to have a duty paid value on excess of ₦10 billion.
Addressing journalists and representatives of the Police, NDLEA, and other government agencies, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, said the operation was part of a renewed security onslaught to safeguard Nigeria from illicit imports that threaten public safety.
He revealed that the seizures included a 40-foot container (MRSU6407089) that concealed 101 kilograms of “Colorado Loud” — a potent strain of cannabis — along with arms and ammunition. Items found in the container included two pump-action rifles, 25 cartridges, one Smith & Wesson pistol with 55 rounds of ammunition, one blank, and accessories. The consignee was identified as Mr. Babatunde Ogidiolu of Lagos.
Other notable interceptions according to him, included seven containers of expired drugs and prohibited medicaments.
Three containers of expired margarine.
Three containers of banned used clothing.
Two containers of frozen poultry products (1,290 sacks each).
One container of counterfeit toothpaste infringing a Nigerian brand’s intellectual property, concealed with beads and jalabi dresses.
Two containers of expired chest and lung tablets without NAFDAC registration as well as two containers recently tracked to the port containing codeine-based substances.
Adeniyi reiterated the position of the Nigeria Customs to stop the transfer of pharmaceutical containers to bonded terminals outside the ports, citing poor compliance by many operators. He stressed that the agency will prioritize risk-based, intelligence-driven inspections and expand the use of scanners to detect concealed contraband.
He further revealed that “so far, five suspects have been arrested in connection with these seizures,”
“Three have been charged to court and remanded at Ikoyi Prisons, while two are on administrative bail awaiting trial.”
The CGC explained that intelligence suggests the syndicates behind the intercepted shipments are linked and operating in collaboratively. He assured that the NCS, in partnership with NAFDAC, NDLEA, and international customs bodies, will intensify efforts to dismantle such networks and prevent Nigeria from becoming a dumping ground for dangerous goods.
“As these criminal elements work together, we will also work together — locally and internationally — to identify them and protect our nation’s collective peace and security,” Adeniyi stated.
Responding to questions from journalists, the CGC revealed that the seizure followed actionable intelligence shared by both local and international partners.
“We acted on consistent intelligence ahead of the containers’ arrival. When we opened them overnight, we confirmed it was codeine,” he added, stressing that the swift arrest of suspects was to prevent the illegal cargo from leaving the port, while the culprits to be handed over to relevant government agencies.
Adeniyi noted that the Service had declared a state of emergency over a year ago on fake and unregistered pharmaceuticals in Onne, but has since extended surveillance to Apapa following similar discoveries.
“We are determined to arrest offenders wherever they operate,” he affirmed.
The CGC also addressed concerns about bonded terminals, buttressing that they remain a trade facilitation tool but will not be used to move high-risk cargo such as illegal drugs.
“If it’s a revenue issue, we can resolve it. But with dangerous drugs, security comes first,” he said.
According to Adeniyi, the new measures aim to safeguard public health and national security, even if they require “difficult decisions” to keep harmful products off the streets. The seized drugs and pharmaceuticals were handed over to the NDLEA and NAFDAC respectively for further investigations.