The strides made by officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun 1 Command, Idiroko show that the command under Comptroller Oladapo Afeni’s watch is fulfilling its mandate writes John Iwori.
Among other roles and responsibilities, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has three core mandate namely revenue generation, anti-smuggling and trade facilitation.
As a key government agency, enforcement of the provisions of the NCS Act 2023 is also one of its responsibilities. Indeed, the NCS is the fulcrum of the Federal Government fiscal policies implementation. This not unconnected with the fact that it is the agency saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the Import Prohibition List (IPL) and the Export Prohibition List (EPL) drawn up by the Federal Government based on its economic policies. It is one of the reasons why NCS has over the years remain a veritable revenue spinner for the Federal Government. Maritime Bits checks revealed that the NCS is also a para-military organization with an eye on importation and exportation of goods into Nigeria.
In the execution of its mandate over the years, NCS has performed remarkably well especially in the area of revenue generation and anti-smuggling. However, this has not been the case of all Customs formations across the country. In fact, some commands are known for not doing the right thing. They operate overtly and covertly in total disregard to the provisions of the NCS Act 2023.
For instance, not a few stakeholders in the maritime sector of the economy have opined that Idiroko border in Ogun State has been synonymous with the smuggling of items listed in IPL and EPL as well as illicit cross-border trade between Nigeria and other neighbouring countries in the West and Central Africa Sub-regions.
Nevertheless, the NCS High Command which has Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi as the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) has charted a new route to ensure that it change the poor narratives of these commands with the appointment and deployment of officers who know their onions to be at the helm of its leadership.
One of these officers is Mr. Oladapo Afeni, a Deputy Comptroller. Since his appointment as the Acting Customs Area Controller (CAC), NCS, Ogun I Command with its headquarters in Idiroko, he has intensified what some insiders called “intelligence-driven operations” that have yielded tangible results.
These efforts have led to major seizures, an astronomical increase in the revenue it generated into the federal till as well as the resuscitation of export activities into neighbouring countries.
It is on record that Afeni has embarked on an aggressive campaign aimed at dismantling smuggling syndicates while restoring legitimate trade at the border.
To ensure that the people in the border communities own the new initiative and buy into it, the Acting CAC has engaged them in series of meetings through the traditional rulers, community and religious leaders as well as other stakeholders.
Apart from this, he has continued to embark on a mix of intelligence-driven operations, strategic patrols and closer collaboration with host communities. These measures have led to increased enforcement along the corridor, recording seizures worth billions of naira since Afeni took the reins of administration a few months ago.
Apparently elated by the strides his command have attained so far, Afeni on March 16, 2026 at the command headquarter, Idirroko announced that not less than N1 billion worth of contrabands were intercepted in less than two months.
Items seized by the command include 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice, equivalent to two trailer loads, 2,547 parcels of cannabis sativa, and 545 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly called petrol totaling 13,625 litres. It must be noted that the quantity of PMS seized by the command would have become an economic sabotage if the smugglers have succeeded in their nefarious mission.
Also seized were 36 cartons of Bardinet syrup, eight packs of perfume oil, 13 used tyres popularly called tokunbo, 50 bags of imported sugar, eight bales of second-hand clothing, 15 sacks of used clothing, five sacks of used ladies’ handbags, two sacks of used footwear and two used vehicles popularly called Belgium.
It must be noted that the seizure of the prohibited items would not have been possible without the right leadership at the command and the co-operation of other stakeholders along the border corridor. This is not unconnected with the fact that in many cases suspected smugglers have evaded arrest and escaped with the collaboration of some unpatriotic residents of the border communities who do not see anything wrong in their activities.
The seizures were not limited to goods. Life animals in the EPL were also seized from suspected traffickers at the border. A case in point was the interception of no fewer than four live pangolins, one of the world’s most trafficked endangered species. The animals were subsequently handed over to Green Fingers Wildlife Conservation for protection and rehabilitation.
Also seized were two antiquities believed to be cultural artifacts being smuggled across the border by suspected smugglers. Not a few stakeholders in the maritime industry and beyond regard the seizure as a worthy step by men and officers of the NCS to preserve Nigeria’s cultural heritage. In order to ensure that they were properly preserved, the artifacts were transferred to the National Museum at Baptist Girls’ College, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The Acting CAC did not hide what was responsible for the strides the command has made in recent times as he reiterated the need for an intelligence-based enforcement in the discharge of NCS mandate.
According to him, rather than relying solely on routine patrols, his command has increased surveillance of known smuggling routes while strengthening intelligence gathering from border communities along the corridor.
He revealed that on March 11, 2026, officers and men of the command acting on intelligence intercepted a truck with registration number APP-740-YD along the Agbara axis.
According to him, the truck was found carrying 2,539 kegs of vegetable oil, each containing 25 litres.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the products had been smuggled through the creeks in smaller consignments before being consolidated for transportation to the desired destination.
This was not the first time the command is attaining the feat, as Afeni also disclosed that on March 4, 2026 officers and men of NCS also intercepted a Sino truck loaded with 4,325 cartons of foreign spaghetti, each weighing 10 kilograms.
He disclosed that these continuous and consistent smuggling of staple commodities poses serious challenges for local industries.
His words: “By removing these illicit goods from the market, we are ensuring a competitive trade environment that protects our local vegetable oil industry and safeguards the health of our citizens.”
The Customs Chief averred that the operations of the command are in synergy with the broader economic agenda of the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which prioritises domestic production and economic stability.
Not a few other government agencies such as the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been collaborating with NCS to attain set goals and objectives.
To this end, the command has formally handed over 2,547 parcels of cannabis sativa to NDLEA, Idiroko Special Command recently.
He revealed that the cannabis shipment comprised 2,055 coconut-size parcels weighing 710 kilograms and 15 bread-size parcels weighing 381 kilograms.
On revenue generation, the command has made significant progress with the generation of N285.6 million during the period under review. The figure represents an increase of N259.2 million compared with revenue recorded during the same period in 2025, translating to a remarkable 1,082 percent growth.
He disclosed that the revenue was generated from baggage assessments as well as auction sales of PMS intercepted during the command anti-smuggling operations within the period under review.
His words: “I would like to reiterate that the revenue activities of the command comprise importation and exportation of legitimate goods, goods traded under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, and the assessment of merchandise contained in baggage.”
It is on record that since Afeni took the reins of administration, export activities have not only been revived but increased at the Idiroko border post.
This is coming on the heels of the dearth of a structured export operations at the corridor over the years which has in no small way hindered legitimate trade at the border corridor.
Afeni revealed that the command recorded the movement of 95 metric tons of goods with a Free On Board value of N305.7 million. Not few stakeholders in the maritime industry have opined that the development marks a significant improvement compared with the same period in 2025 when no export trade was recorded at the border. They averred that the resuscitation of legitimate export activities marks renewed economic opportunities for Nigerians.
Apparently aware that the strides made by the command were not singlehandedly done by officers and men of the command, the Customs Chief lauded the traditional rulers, community leaders and border residents for their support co-operation.
According to him, resident of border communities have played an important role in providing intelligence that helps customs officers track smuggling routes.
He also commended the media for its continued support and balanced reporting of the service’s activities.
He did not left out the NCS High Command as he expressed appreciation to the CGC and his management team for their support and confidence in his leadership.
The Acting CAC stated that the command will not rest on its oars as smugglers have a penchant for continuously changing tactics and antics.
His words: “Our war on smuggling continues. Although smugglers may attempt new tactics to evade our checks, they will remain unsuccessful. Through high-level intelligence and strategic monitoring, we are always one step ahead of economic saboteurs.”
It remains to be seen whether these smugglers will change their ways in the wake of a new sheriff in town who does not treat illegitimate trade with kid gloves and is ready to do what is needful to ensure the command deliver on its core mandate in the days ahead.
