By Andrew Utulu
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme border Area Command said it has intensified war against economic saboteurs who are bent on smuggling contraband items and other illicit goods prohibited from coming into the country through the land borders.
The Command disclosed that following this onslaught, it intercepted and seized 898 parcels of Cannabis Sativa otherwise known as Indian hemp from hard drug traffickers.
The Command also disclosed that it intercepted and sized five trucks carrying 2,800 bags of 50kg foreign rice, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N919.5 million between July 1 and 19, 2025.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Benedict Oramalugo PhD, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Lagos, said the command also impounded 1,319 additional bags of rice, bringing the total seizures to 4,119 bags within the period under review.
The seized Cannabis Sativa were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Seme Area Command and received by Idris Muhammed, the representative of the NDLEA Commandant in-charge of the Seme Border of the Agency.
Dr Oramalugo, attributed the seizures to credible intelligence gathered by operatives of his Command along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor.
According to him, the five trucks were intercepted with 2,800 bags of rice and 250 bales of second-hand clothing.
He further revealed that the command between June 14 and June 30, 2025, made other seizures including 40 bags of sugar, 64 bags of flour, and 50 cartons of tomato ketchup.
Also intercepted and seized by the operatives of the Command were one boat with an engine, 20 bales of second-hand clothes, and four bales of used shoes.
The total Duty Paid DPV) for all seizures, according to the Customs boss is N1,268,794,474.
The CAC noted that the successes were due to the vigilance and commitment of officers and men of the Seme Command, with support from the Nigerian military and other agencies.
He reiterated the Federal Government’s ban on rice importation through the land borders aimed at supporting local farmers and reduce dependency on importation and consumption of foreign rice by Nigerians.
He said: “Nigeria is the highest producer of rice in Africa, with an annual output exceeding 8 million metric tonnes, surpassing Egypt and Tanzania.
“However, our rice mills continue to face challenges due to insufficient patronage, which hampers their ability to operate at full capacity,” he said.
The CAC said the command within the period, facilitated trade and the movement of 1,837 trucks, equivalent to over 116,723.26MT of made-in-Nigeria goods.
“These exports had a Free On Board (FOB) value of N22,368,388,976.10k only. While the National Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) fees stood at N111,841,944.87K) only.”
He disclosed that between May and July 2025, generated a total revenue of N1,593,676,123.26.
He lamented that some individuals still engaged in smuggling, undermining Nigeria’s economic progress.
He warned that Seme Command would not tolerate any form of smuggling or illegal trade within its domain.
