The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of Nigeria Customs in Ikeja, has intercepted contraband goods valued at N1.5 billion and arrested four suspects during a three-week operation.
The Customs Area Controller, Muhammed Shuaibu, revealed this during a briefing held in Lagos on Friday, where seized items were handed over to officials from NDLEA and NAFDAC.
Shuaibu, who took over the command on April 23, confirmed that the seizures with a Duty Paid Value of N1.5 billion were made between April 23 and May 16.
He promised to leverage his experience for effective management, stating that “the command had stayed true to that goal.”
The Area Controller added that the command generated N20.7 million through demand notices and auctioned off perishables and petroleum products imported irregularly.
He also highlighted a shift to intelligence-driven operations aimed at reducing delays caused by the traditional stop-and-search methods.
NDLEA’s Festac Area Commander, Abdul Maiyaki, praised Customs for handing over seiXuzed cannabis and a suspect, expressing gratitude to sister agencies for their continuous support in helping NDLEA fulfill its mandate.
NAFDAC Taskforce Chairman, Shuiba Muhammad, also commended Customs for protecting the nation from harmful substances.
He noted, “Customs handed over seven trucks of illicit drugs to NAFDAC three months ago, with more intercepted now.”
Muhammad emphasized that these seizures were the result of “effective inter-agency cooperation, which helps reduce insecurity linked to drug abuse.”
He added, “Stopping such drugs from circulation helps lower the country’s insecurity levels.”
