D/COMPT NAJEEM OGUNDEYI IN WAR WITH ECONOMIC SABOTEURS; INTERCEPTS N604 MILLION CONTRABAND, GENERATES N7.978 BILLION IN 5 WEEKS
By Timothy Paul Okorocha
The Kwara Area command is slugging it out with economic saboteurs, as Najeem Akanmu Ogundeyi, the acting Area Controller is not smiling with acts of illegal food imports in place of the country’s local food. He is also giving petroleum smugglers a hard time in his area of jurisdiction.
In a spectacular operation, the customs helmsman has announced a N604.333 million worth of seizure in the last five weeks. The intercepted contraband are varied, including, foreign parboiled rice, premium motor spirit (PMS), foreign spaghetti as well as 3,396 packets of tramadol.
Eight major seizures were consequently showcased in its Ilorin headquarters today. ‘The interception of food items should not be misinterpreted as an affront to legitimate food availability for Nigerians.
Rather, our mandate is to enforce compliance with the laws governing cross-border trade. When goods are moved through unapproved routes, bypass regulatory checks, or lack proper documentation, the service is legally mandated to intervene’ he deposed.
Since assuming duty as Customs Area Controller on 17 December 2025, this marks his fourth press engagement. They have consistently utilized this platform to provide factual, transparent updates on our operations specifically their resolute efforts to suppress smuggling, facilitate legitimate trade, protect federal revenues, and safeguard national security.
At their previous briefings, he maintained that the Kwara Command would never become a safe haven or transit corridor for illicit cross-border trade. That stance remains uncompromising. Their officers maintain an active, vigilant presence across all identified channels and vulnerable corridors, driven by actionable intelligence, robust patrol operations, and seamless synergy with sister security agencies.
The illegal influx of foreign food products through porous borders undermines Federal Government policies aimed at boosting local agricultural production, protecting domestic investments, and safeguarding our local value chain. Their enforcement actions ensure that compliant, legitimate traders are not priced out by economic saboteurs who bypass established protocols for unlawful gain.
Today, they present Eight (8) distinct seizures intercepted across various operational corridors within the Command:
• Eighty (80) bales and Six (6) sacks of Used Clothing intercepted along the Ogbomoso/Jebba axis | DPV: ₦32,300,000.00
• 6,875 Litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) intercepted along the Bukuro/Okuta/Chikanda axis | DPV: ₦2,750,000.00
• 3,396 Packets of Tramadol (100mg) intercepted along the Okuta axis | DPV: ₦50,946,000.00
• Fourteen (14) bags of Basmati Rice (5kg each) intercepted along the Bode-saadu Expressway | DPV: ₦350,000.00
• 6,705 Cartons of Foreign Spaghetti intercepted along the Bode-Saadu axis | DPV: ₦201,150,000.00
• 270 Bags of Foreign Parboiled Rice (50kg each) intercepted across various locations | DPV: ₦25,245,000.00
• One (1) Toyota Highlander (2025 Model) intercepted along Bode-saadu Expressway | DPV: ₦214,000,000.00
• One (1) Dodge Charger SXT (2018 Model) intercepted Lagos/Kwara highway Eyankorin | DPV: ₦77,592,592.00
He stated that these interceptions reflect the dynamic nature of cross-border criminality. Smugglers continuously alter tactics ranging from diverting critical energy resources like PMS to trafficking dangerous pharmaceuticals and uncustomed luxury vehicles.
Pharmaceutical Threat: The seizure of 3,396 packets of Tramadol (100mg) valued at over ₦50.9 million highlights the critical role of border security in public health. Unregulated entry of controlled substances poses severe risks to national security and public safety.
Petroleum Product Diversion: Intercepting 6,875 litres of PMS guards against the illegal siphon of strategic national supplies meant for domestic consumption into illicit border markets.
He deposed that Excise activities continue to serve as their primary revenue driver. During the period under review, the Command generated a total revenue of ₦7,978,338,031.21 (Seven Billion, Nine Hundred and Seventy-Eight Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand, Thirty-One Naira, Twenty-One Kobo).
This milestone demonstrates their commitment to maximizing revenue for the Federal Government while maintaining a balanced operational focus on trade facilitation and national security.
According to him, their achievements are rooted in intelligence-led operations. He commends the Command’s Intelligence Unit and Customs Police Unit particularly acknowledging the enhanced momentum under its new leadership as well as the resilient officers and men of the Kwara Area Command for their dedication across vast and challenging terrains.
The Controller extends their deep gratitude to our sister security agencies. Trans-border crime cannot be fought in isolation; inter-agency cooperation remains central to their tactical execution.
He expressed his profound appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, for his strategic direction and constant support to the Command.
To members of the public, he said, border communities, traditional leaders, and commercial transporters: they urge men and officers to treat border security as a shared responsibility. Providing timely, credible intelligence remains vital to safeguarding our economic landscape.
“To our media partners, thank you for your commitment to objective journalism. We count on you to continue educating the public on the critical distinction between compliant international trade and illicit smuggling.”
He concluded that their position remains absolute: Legitimate trade will receive their maximum support, but smuggling will encounter uncompromising enforcement.