SHUAIBU HITS THE GROUND RUNNING; INTERCEPTS CONTRABAND WORTH MORE THAN N1.5 BILLION IN 3 WEEKS

SHUAIBU HITS THE GROUND RUNNING; INTERCEPTS CONTRABAND WORTH MORE THAN N1.5 BILLION IN 3 WEEKS

By Timothy Paul Okorocha

Seizures of assorted contraband goods worth more than N1.5 billion have been made by the brand new controller of the Federal Operations Unit ( FOU ‘A’) just in the last three weeks.

Controller of the Unit, Compt MS Shuaibu disclosed to newsmen today that four suspects were arrested in connection with the various seizures.

The seizures include assorted dainty cars, thousands of foreign parboiled rice, cannabis sativa, tramadol, premium motor spirit (PMS) as well as bales of used clothing.

‘In the same vein, our renewed efforts have significantly bolstered our strategies to secure Nigeria’s south western states borders against economic saboteurs’ he noted.

He said within this short period of three weeks, his unit has inflicted substantial losses on these non-state actors through the interception of numerous illegal goods.

Stressing that in alignment with the principles of open governance advocated by the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, and the management team, he is excited to share the achievements we have made since he took over the leadership of this unit on April 23, 2025.

He said Upon his arrival, he committed to leveraging his extensive experience to effectively navigate the complexities of this unit, and I am proud to report that they have remained true to that commitment.

*REVENUE GENERATION*

According to him, their unit generates revenue primarily through the interventions executed by their personnel, issuing demand notices (DN) where shortfalls are identified, and conducting auction sales of seized perishable goods. They have diligently optimized these revenue streams to ensure accurate recovery of funds. As of today, they have successfully recovered a total of twenty million, seven hundred and nine-two thousand, three hundred and seventy- two naira, ninety-nine kobo (N20, 792, 372.99) only, through the issuance of demand notices from irregular importation and auction sales of seized petroleum products.

*ANTI-SMUGGLING OPERATIONS*

Since undertaking my role, he has initiated a transformation of their operational strategies, moving away from traditional stop-and-search methods to more intelligence-driven operations that reduce unnecessary delays.

In a significant achievement in their ongoing battle against illicit trade, their team acted on credible intelligence and successfully intercepted and seized 7X20ft containers filled with various illicit items within the Lagos metropolis preliminary investigations revealed the following contents:
i. MSKU 8551954 – Used tyres and vehicle
ii. SYDU 1479614 = foreign parboiled rice
iii. MSKU 7751689 = foreign parboiled rice
iv. MSKU 798700 = foreign parboiled rice
V. ZCSU 8845072 = New shoes
vi. ZCSU 7055181= New Clothes
vii. PIDU 4258491= New bags

The Nigeria Customs Service remains resolute in its efforts to combat smuggling, counterfeit products, and other forms of illicit trade. These achievements testify to our unwavering dedication to protecting our economy and citizens. They will continue to collaborate with sister security agencies and border communities to dismantle the networks engaged in illicit activities.

In line with the dictate of the NCS to foster inter-agency collaboration, he said they will be handing over the seized 246kg of cannabis sativa to the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency ( *NDLEA* ) and the tramadol capsules will be handed over to the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control ( *NAFDAC* ) for further investigation and prosecution. They encourage the general public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities related to smuggling or illicit trade. He also urged our declarants to remain honest in their declarations to avoid unnecessary bottleneck.

 

*TRADE FACILITATION*

In an era characterized by increasing global integration, efficient trade facilitation is vital for unlocking economic potential, creating jobs, and fostering regional integration. He takes this responsibility seriously. Their intelligence driven operations are designed to create a more efficient, transparent, and inclusive trading environment that will benefit their stakeholders and the public through barrier-free operations, as they intend to collapse all patrol points within Lagos metropolis.

In conclusion, he express his gratitude to the CGC and the management team for this opportunity once again to serve as comptroller FOU A. Says will remain committed to fulfilling our responsibilities to the best of our ability. To their dedicated officers, he commended them and urged them to maintain this momentum. He also extend his appreciation to the media for their continued support of their efforts.