COMPT TAKO RUNNING ECONOMIC SABOTEURS OUT OF ADAMAWA/TARABA CORRIDORS; INTERCEPTS N80 MILLION CONTRABAND
By Timothy Paul Okorocha
This is not the best of times for economic saboteurs within the North Eastern region as Comptroller Muhammed Aminu Tako is gradually running them out of business.
In the last five weeks, several prohibited items worth about N80 million have been intercepted in several locations around Adamawa and Taraba states.
The Area Controller said at a media briefing today that several thousands of liters of Premium motor spirit (PMS), bags of foreign parboiled rice, bales of second hand clothing with means of conveyance made the list.
‘These seizures were made in accordance with the Customs Service Act, 2023 under sections 150, 233,245,247 and 248 coupled with schedule 3 (import prohibition list) of the Common External Tariff). He noted that his officers executed a series of these successful operations based on actionable intelligence and tactical surveillance.
Key Interceptions and Operational Highlights: Over the past five weeks, our officers- guided by actionable intelligence and continuous tactical surveillance, have executed a series of successful anti-smuggling operations across our area of responsibility. These targeted interventions resulted in the interception and seizure of the following items:
i. On Sunday, 16′”August, 2026 at about 0021hrs, the command operatives acting on actionable intelligence raided River Benue bank along the Ribadu axis. The team uncovered four hurdred and fifty-one (451) cartons of foreign bar soap stockpiled at the shoreline in the bush, where economic saboteurs had finalized arrangements to sminto the country. Confronted by the swift intervention of our officers, the suspects abandoned the contraband and fled into the bush.
ii. In a similar operation driven by the uncompromising vigilance of our operatives during the early hours of 20″ August, 2026, three hundred and seventy-four (374) Jerry cans (25-litre capacity each of PMS were unearthed along a bush path in Sahuda, situated on the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
iii. Reinforcing our sustained anti-smuggling drive, a Mitsubishi Canter with Reg no. XB
566 GML loaded with one hundred and sixteen (116) bags of foreign parboiled rice 50kg each and fifty (50) Cartons of foreign soaps was intercepted following credible intelligence along Wuro Alhaji-Maiha axis on Monday, 14″ September, 2026 at about 2010hrs.
iv. Equally, the Operatives discovered two hundred and ninety-nine (299) Jerry Cans of PMS, 25 litres each on Monday, 21″ September, 2026 at about 0245hrs in an unapproved route along Belel-Goshidan axis with an intent to be smuggled out of the country.
v. In like manner, On Friday, 2 October, 2026 at about 0600hrs, following actionable intelligence, one hundred and fifty (150) bags of forcign parboiled rice 50kg each, twenty (20) bags of 100kg of local maize, and cleven (11) bales plus five (5) jumbo sacks of second-hand clothing gathered in the bush path along Maiha-Mubi axis meant for onward smuggling were discovered and seized by the operatives.
Summary of Interception and Seizures: i. 673 Jerry Cans of PMS of 25 liters each, translated to 16,825 liters. ii. 501 cartons of foreign bar soaps. iii. 266 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 50kg each. iv. 11 bales and 5 jumbo sacks of second-hand clothing. v. one Mitsubishi Canter, means of conveyance of the contraband goods.
The aggregate Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items stands at seventy-nine million. eight hundred and iffy-six thousand, five hundred (N79,857,500) naira only.
Acknowledgments and Appreciation
We appreciate the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, PhD. psc (+) and his management team for consistently providing the requisite resources and logistical support essential for seamless operations.
Equally, he extends his heartfelt appreciation to our brave officers who executed these operational interceptions. “Your tactical intelligence, integrity, and relentless pursuit of economic saboteurs have once again delivered an outstanding result for the command.”
To the general public, he urged them to treat security as a collective responsibility by providing timely and credible information regarding suspicious activities within their communities.
To the gentlemen of the press, “we view you as vital partners in this crusade. We solicit your continued support in enlightening the populace on the severe repercussions of smuggling on our national economy and security. Together, we can safeguard our borders and foster sustainable economic growth.”