By Godwin Oritse

LAGOS — The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded contraband items valued at N1.502 billion and apprehended four suspects within the last month.

Controller of the unit, Mr. Mohammed Shuaibu, dislosed the seizures during a media briefing, stating that the operation was intelligence-driven.

Among the items confiscated were tramadol, used tyres, foreign parboiled rice, cannabis sativa, foreign-used vehicles, used clothing, new shoes, and petroleum products.

Shuaibu disclosed that N20.7 million was also generated through demand notices issued for irregular importations and through the auction of seized petroleum products.

Major seizures included 4,085 bags of foreign rice,15 foreign-used vehicles, 82 packs of tramadol, 246kg of cannabis 290 jerry cans of PMS, 12 bales and 4 sacks of used clothing.

The seized drugs will be handed over to NDLEA and NAFDAC for further investigation and prosecution.
Shuaibu emphasized that the unit has shifted from conventional stop-and-search tactics to intelligence-based operations, aimed at reducing delays and enhancing trade facilitation. He reiterated the NCS’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s economy and collaborating with security agencies to combat smuggling and illicit trade.

He said: ” In alignment with the principles of open governance advocated by the Customs Service, I am excited to share the achievements we have made since I took over the leadership of this unit on April 23, 2025.

“Upon my arrival, I am committed to leveraging my extensive experience to effectively navigate the complexities of this unit, and I am proud to report that we have remained true to that commitment.
“Our unit generates revenue primarily through the interventions executed by our personnel, issuing demand notices (DN) where shortfalls are identified, and conducting auction sales of seized perishable goods. We have diligently optimized these revenue streams to ensure accurate recovery of funds. As of today, we have successfully recovered a total of N20.7million, through the issuance of demand notices from irregular importation and auction sales of seized petroleum products.

“Since undertaking my role, I have initiated a transformation of our operational strategies, moving away from traditional stop-and-search methods to more intelligence-driven operations that reduce unnecessary delays.”