SHUAIBU BREAKS RECORD; INTERCEPTS N2.785 BILLION CONTRABAND IN 5 WEEKS, 7 SUSPECTS IN CUSTODY
By Timothy Paul Okorocha
It is seizures galore by officers of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) zone A, as several contraband goods worth more than N2.785 billion were intercepted at various points in the six states of the west.
While the Unit recorded N1.285 billion seizures in the last two weeks, seizures valued at more than N1.5 billion were made in the first three weeks after Comptroller MS Shuaibu’s assumption of office on April 23rd 2025.
Indeed, the economic saboteurs are now on their knees, according to the FOU helmsman. Shuaibu disclosed that in all, 46 interceptions were recorded in this last two weeks of operations, with seven suspects being held.
The seized items include four trailer loads of foreign parboiled rice ( 2051x50kg bags), eleven used vehicles, 1665kg of cannabis sativa. Others are 4000 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), one white and black J5 commercial bus loaded with expired goods, and one Volvo truck containing 180 sacks of new towels.
Shuaibu says, ‘It is pertinent to states that our renewed vigor to fight smuggling and criminalities through intelligence-driven operations has continued to payoff as the resilience and dedication of their operatives has inflicted substantial losses on some economic saboteurs who are bent on bringing our country to its knees through their nefarious activities’.
On the 23rd and 24th of May 2025, at about 0300hrs and 0230hrs, their patrol teams within Lagos metropolis acted on intelligence intercepted and seized 2X40FT containers with containers numbers (MSCU 5295718 and MRSU 5856090) respectively along Ijora-Olopa, and mile 2 axis. The examination reports of these containers revealed the following contents:
Seven (7) Mitsubishi Canters, Five(5) Toyota Hiace Buses, and Three (3) Mini Shuttle Buses all cut up with their parts complete with clear intention of evade Customs duties.
Other items include used bicycles, 312, Bales of printed wax, 23 Bales of used clothing, 42 used gas cylinders, and 30 used flat screens televisions, 65 table top cookers, and 31 unit of used split air conditioning and among others. The importation of these items contravenes schedule 4 of the common external tariff.
Similarly, on the19th of May 2025 at about 0300hrs hours another patrol team intercepted a Volvo truck and investigation revealed to contains 1263 pieces of used tyres and other goods. One suspect was also arrested.
He said, in the same vein, on the 19th of May 2025 at about 2300hrs, their officers on a routine patrol along Shagamu/Ijebu-Ode express way in Ogun State, intercepted one truck with registration number T24623LA suspected to be conveying uncustoms goods including Bullet Proof vests. Again, an investigation report revealed the content to include some packages of Tramadol.
Furthermore, on the 26th of May 2025, at about 0600hrs, through intelligence-driven operations, their men on the Ijebu-Ode patrol team arrested one empty Mercedes Benz truck. Thorough rummaging of the truck and careful observation by our officers which led to uncover concealment of Cannabis Sativa (India Hemp) in the compartments of the truck. One suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure.
Hs stresssed that these seizures come on the heels of successes recorded in their anti-smuggling activities just three (3) weeks after he resumes the leadership of the unit on the 23rd of April 2025, which saw seizures of over 7 trailer loads of foreign parboiled rice, premium motor spirit, vehicles, drugs and narcotics among others with a duty paid value of over 1.5 billion naira.
According to him, the Nigeria Customs Service as a lead agency in border security and facilitators of trade, they are not unaware of the need to balance both responsibilities through risk management tools at our disposal. They are also aware that those whose illicit businesses have been significantly hindered by their operations will spare no efforts in devising different methods to counter them.
Shuaibu says they would like to assure the public that they will continue to remain alive to their responsibilities and will not be deterred by naysayers or anyone intent to casting aspirations on their officers who have always paid ultimate price for the service to their country.
As criminals get more desperate and daring, they at the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ will ensure the sustainability of a more formidable defense against any antics devised by these non-state actors. The Nigeria Customs Service will continue to design and implement sustainable programs that will grow our economy, increase revenue for the government, and encourage legitimate trade.
According to him, the seized 1665kg of Indian hemp and will be handed over to the relevant agencies for further investigation and prosecution.
The Controller says the unit will continued to harness all revenue components under the unit to recover loss revenue from the evaders. Within these two (2) weeks of operations, the unit recovered a total of forty-eight million, three hundred and forty thousand, seven hundred and twenty naira, eight kobo (N48,340,720.08) only, through issuance of demand notices (DN) from the improper declaration of consignments.
He noted that when he assumed duty here, they looked at some of their institutional activities who have been relegated to the background and what they could do to boost the morales of our officers. They understand that their monthly parades, weekly sporting activities, and conducive working atmosphere were the major concerns. As of today, they have resuscitated the monthly parades and weekly sporting activities, which he intended to invite people, their media friends, to join them on one of these days.
At this junction, he commends their officers for their unwavering dedication, steadfastness, gallantry, and integrity who led to these achievements. He also thanked their stakeholders and partners, especially the media, for their modest reportage.
He commended the Comptroller General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, for all the logistics provided and assured him that the Unit will not fail in the war against the nation’s economic saboteurs.