Seme Customs Records ₦9bn Revenue, Seizes Rice, Petrol, Other Contraband Worth ₦501m

 The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, has generated a total revenue of ₦9.79 billion between March and May 2026, representing a 448 per cent increase compared to the ₦2.18 billion collected within the corresponding period in 2025.

The Command also recorded seizures with a cumulative Duty Paid Value of ₦501.84 million, including Cannabis Sativa, foreign rice, Premium Motor Spirit, vegetable oil, foreign spaghetti, unregistered pharmaceutical products and used clothing intercepted along the Seme-Badagry corridor and adjoining routes.

The Customs Area Controller of the Seme Area Command, Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila, disclosed this on Monday during a media briefing in Seme, where he outlined the Command’s operational activities and achievements since assuming office in March 2026.

Kaila attributed the sharp increase in revenue generation to strengthened compliance measures, improved stakeholder collaboration, intensified anti-revenue leakage operations, enhanced operational efficiency and the deployment of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System.

According to him, the renewed dedication and vigilance of officers and men of the Command also contributed significantly to the impressive performance.

He said the Command remained committed to sustaining the feat through institutional reforms, intelligence-driven monitoring and transparent trade procedures capable of guaranteeing continuous revenue growth without obstructing legitimate trade.

Speaking on trade facilitation, the CAC described the Seme border corridor as one of Nigeria’s busiest and most strategic land borders under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.

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 simplify clearance procedures and strengthen compliance.

Kaila further noted that officers of the Command continued 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.

On anti-smuggling operations, the Command seized 2,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 340 kegs of foreign vegetable oil, 103 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit, 993 cartons of foreign spaghetti and 1,000 parcels of Cannabis Sativa within the last three months during intelligence-led operations across the Seme-Badagry corridor.

The parcels of drugs have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.

The Command also intercepted unregistered pharmaceutical products, including codeine-based cough syrups and sexual enhancement drugs lacking certification from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Among the seized items were cartons of Sildenafil Citrate products, Ultimate Plus Maca Syrup, 99 Bullets Herbal Medicine, Tramaking and Tempendol, which was handed over to NAFDAC for regulatory action.

Kaila disclosed that six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures. He warned smugglers and their collaborators to desist from illegal activities, stressing that the Seme Area Command would not serve as a safe haven for illicit trade.

“The Command has significantly strengthened its intelligence network, enhanced surveillance capacity across land and maritime routes and intensified collaboration with relevant security and regulatory agencies to combat trans-border crimes and economic sabotage,” he stated.

The CAC, however, urged compliant traders and legitimate business operators to continue utilising the Command’s trade facilitation platforms and dispute-resolution mechanisms for seamless business operations.