OLOMU TURNS THE HEAT ON ECONOMIC SABOTEURS; INTERCEPTS N3.2 BILLION CONTRABAND
By Timothy Paul Okorocha
The Premier customs command under the able leadership of Compt Babatunde Olomu, PhD, has in the last one month turned the heat against dubious smugglers who bring in assorted contraband through his command.
Apart from more than N921 million worth of smuggled goods intercepted by the command last month, various kinds of dangerous items concealed in more than half a dozen containers with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of more than N3.2 billion have just been seized.
Briefing newsmen in Lagos today, Dr Olomu traced the history of the seized imports. According to him, the containerised goods traveled through different countries with the intent to beat the eagle eyes of his men before landing at the Lagos sea port.
He said it took the collaboration of the customs, NDLEA and the NAFDAC to track and make the seizure. He attributed the feat mainly to intelligence.
Olomu disclosed that it was as a result of the painstaking efforts of his men that six containers were uncovered with prohibited items, mostly unregistered pharmaceuticals. Other items in the seized containers are cosmetics, used clothing as well as two vehicles illegally imported into the country.
The seizures can be broken down into three categories.
Category 1
> Container No. SUDU 8685733 (40FT) was found to contain 1,698 of RTPL CSC Cough syrup with codeine concealed in 202
packages of water closet.
> Container No. MRSU 4846204 (40FT) was found to contain 1,690 cartons of codeine syrup concealed in toilet seat. The two seizures have a street value of N2,710,400.00 (Two billion, seven hundred
and ten million, four hundred thousand naira only).
Interestingly, these two containers were intercepted as a result of international collaboration as well as local networking with officers and men of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Category 2
> Container No. ONEU 1153150 (40 FT) found to contain 1,584 packages of Globatin anti-marks & 30g Clobetasol cream falsely declared as TRUCK TYRES.
> Container No. MRSU 3258823 (40 FT) was found to contain Rabeprazole, for injection, 25mg Zahifranil tablets, 1000mg vancomycine hydrochloride, ciprophetadine with vitamin B Complex, and other pharmaceutical products without NAFDAC registration number, falsely declared as kitchen wares and tables.
Category3
> Container No. MRKU 0904594 (40 FT) was found to contain two stolen vehicles from Canada. A 2024 model Lexus RX 450 vehicle with chasis number JTJCINGA6R2017707 and another 2023 Lexus RX 350 with chasis number 2T2BAMCAPCO32741 falsely declared as food items.
> While container No. SEKU 4716830 (40 FT) was found to contain 390 bales of used clothing which contravenes the import prohibition law.
Therefore, while they facilitate trade, collect revenue for government, the NCS
owe the Nigerian people the duty of protecting them from dangerous imports
that are injurious to their health and wellbeing.
As officers at the nation’s largest, busiest and premier port, we are determined to avoid making Nigerians vulnerable to the selfish interests of merchant of death whose stock in trade is to bring in harmful substances like the ones he showed us today. They also intercepted two cars
stolen from Canada that was attempted to be smuggled into Nigeria like mentioned earlier on.
In addition to contravening the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, these
imported containers with prohibited medical items also violate the World
Customs Organization’s Operation Stop IV – which is a global enforcement
operation against trafficking of counterfeit. substandard and unauthorized
medical supplies.
He said three suspects have been arrested in connection with these seizures and are at various stages of interrogation to face the full wrath of the law. He uses this briefing to intimate you that having crossed the one trillion- naira collection before the end of the fifth month, we have so far generated a total of N1,094 trillion as at 21 May 2025.
This collection confirms their trajectory and laudable antecedent of meeting and surpassing our target. Like they’ve done before, they are ready to do better this year
Their chronicle of outstanding revenue collection speaks boldly for us and
attests to our capacity to do more. For instance, in October 2024, they collected N18.2 billion; on March 14, 2025, they recorded a feat of N18.9billion and on 20 May, 2025, we made another record-breaking collection of N18.919 billion All these were groundbreaking daily collections.
Finally, he warned that Apapa Port will remain a no-go area for any unlawful activity and our officers are very much ready to uncover concealments and effect seizures or arrest where necessary.
According to him, the command is not sacrificing compliance on the altar of trade facilitation. On his watch and with the inspiring guidance of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, who was in the command two weeks aqo to showcase 12 containers of seized pharmaceuticals.