By Adebola Muili
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kebbi Area Command, has handed over agricultural herbicides valued at ₦223.05 million, suspected cannabis and live ammunition to three regulatory and security agencies for further investigation and appropriate action.
The seized items, transferred to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), comprised thousands of cartons of potentially hazardous herbicides, 330 wraps of suspected cannabis, 37 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition and 12 cartridges for a pump-action firearm.
The handover ceremony took place at the Command Headquarters in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, October 8, 2026, following the interception and inspection of the consignments, with the approval of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
According to the Command, the herbicides comprised 500 cartons of Rezim Herbicide, 708 cartons of Gramosun, 1,291 cartons of Sun-Paraquat, 1,990 cartons of Gbeledzo and 1,620 cartons of Gramostrong, with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦223,054,385.66.
NAFDAC’s inspection found that the products contained active agents capable of making them highly toxic and potentially harmful to human health and the environment.
The Command also handed over 330 wraps of suspected Cannabis sativa, with a stated value of ₦2.52 million, to the NDLEA, while the ammunition and firearm cartridges were transferred to the NCCSALW for appropriate statutory action.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Customs Area Controller, Kebbi Area Command, Comptroller Mahmoud Matawalle, said sustained collaboration among law-enforcement, regulatory and security agencies was essential to combating the movement of harmful substances, illicit drugs, arms and ammunition.
He said the exercise demonstrated the Service’s commitment to protecting public health, safeguarding national security and preventing prohibited and dangerous products from entering the distribution chain.
The State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Muyideen Suleiman, described the quantity of herbicides received as the largest seizure handed over by the Kebbi Customs Command to the agency’s state office and one of the largest received by NAFDAC in the North-West Zone.
Suleiman commended Customs for its support in tackling the circulation of harmful, unapproved and potentially hazardous agricultural products. He expressed hope that stronger cooperation between the two agencies would help curb the importation and distribution of substandard, falsified, unapproved and harmful regulated products.
The NDLEA State Commander, Rabiu Abdullahi Sokoto, also commended the Customs Command for its continued cooperation in the fight against illicit drugs and controlled substances.
He disclosed that the handover was not the first of its kind, noting that Customs had previously transferred similar seizures to the agency. He added that the NDLEA had also invited Customs officials to witness the destruction of seized illicit drugs on previous occasions to promote transparency and accountability.
Similarly, Captain Iliya Dauda (rtd.), who represented the Zonal Director of the NCCSALW, praised the Command for intercepting and handing over the ammunition, noting that inter-agency cooperation was important to curbing the illicit movement of arms and ammunition and strengthening national security.
The ceremony ended with the signing of handover documents and the formal transfer of the seized items to the respective agencies.
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