By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, has announced the generation of ₦9.79 billion as revenue between March and May 2026, representing a 448 percent increase compared to the corresponding period in 2025.
Speaking during a media briefing held on Monday at the Seme Area Command Headquarters, the Customs Area Controller, Abdullahi Kaila, disclosed that the Command generated a total of ₦9,798,938,969 within the review period.
According to him, the figure exceeded the ₦2,188,405,749 collected during the same period in 2025 by ₦7,610,533,220.
Kaila attributed the remarkable revenue growth to “strengthened compliance mechanisms, improved stakeholder cooperation, intensified anti-revenue leakage measures, enhanced operational efficiency, and the strategic deployment of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System.”
He further commended officers and men of the Command for their dedication and vigilance, stressing that the Command would sustain the gains through intelligence-driven monitoring, institutional reforms, and transparent trade procedures.
The Customs boss described the Seme border corridor as one of Nigeria’s busiest and most strategic land borders, playing a critical role in regional trade integration under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He explained that the Command had intensified engagements with licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, transport unions, importers, exporters, traditional institutions, and sister security agencies to improve trade facilitation and address operational bottlenecks.
“Our officers continue to provide guidance and support to Small and Medium Enterprises seeking access to regional and international markets, particularly in export documentation and regulatory compliance processes,” he stated.
On anti-smuggling operations, Kaila said the Command recorded major breakthroughs through intelligence-led operations conducted along the Seme-Badagry corridor and adjoining routes.
He revealed that officers intercepted 1,000 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, noting that the narcotics would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and prosecution.
The Command also seized unregistered pharmaceutical products, including codeine-based cough syrups and sexual enhancement drugs allegedly imported without certification from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
The seized items included 55 bottles of Ultimate Plus Maca Syrup, 88 packs of 99 Bullets Herbal Medicine, cartons of Sildenafil Citrate products branded as Ultimate Plus Maca, Super Sexy, Machine Man, and Bottom Up, as well as 100 packs each of Tramaking and Tempendol.
According to Kaila, the pharmaceutical products would be handed over to NAFDAC for necessary regulatory action.
The Command also recorded seizures of 2,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 340 kegs of vegetable oil, 103 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 993 cartons of foreign spaghetti, and 250 bales of used clothing.
He disclosed that the total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the intercepted goods stood at ₦501,845,772.
“These seizures underscore the Command’s zero-tolerance stance against smuggling and reaffirm our determination to protect the nation’s economy, support local industries, preserve public safety, and enforce compliance with extant import and export regulations,” Kaila stated.
He warned smugglers and their collaborators to desist from illegal trade activities, stressing that the Seme Area Command had strengthened its intelligence network and surveillance operations across land and maritime routes.
The Customs Area Controller reiterated the commitment of the Command to balancing effective revenue generation with trade facilitation, border security, and national economic development under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
Kaila also appreciated stakeholders, host communities, and members of the media for their continued support and cooperation with the Command.
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