The Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo/Osun Area Command, has intercepted hundreds of police insignia and uniform materials alongside a pistol, magazines and 60 detonating cords in anti-smuggling operations carried out across the command’s area of jurisdiction in August 2026.
Items recovered included 573 Nigeria Police Force crests, 92 yards of police camouflage uniform fabric, one pistol, six pistol magazines, one pump-action magazine and 60 detonating cords, according to the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Wale Moses Adewole.
Adewole disclosed the seizures on Thursday in Ibadan while briefing journalists on the command’s revenue performance and anti-smuggling operations.
He described the interception of the police-related materials as a major security concern, noting that unauthorised possession and movement of security uniforms and insignia could facilitate impersonation or provide access to restricted locations.
Other items seized during the operations included 2,012 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 550 bags of 25kg foreign parboiled rice, 2,440 wraps of cannabis sativa, 1,150 used tyres and 101 used compressors.
Customs officers also intercepted 48 packs of 225mg tramadol, used clothing and shoes, 5,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), foreign vegetable oil, sugar, 17 used vehicles, 10 means of conveyance and 10 containers of mercury.
The command said the combined Duty Paid Value of the seized items stood at N4,106,951,689.
Adewole said the seizures formed part of the command’s statutory responsibility to suppress the smuggling of prohibited and restricted goods while protecting national security and the economy.
He also raised concerns over the uncontrolled movement of mercury and other hazardous materials, stressing that Customs would continue to deploy intelligence-driven operations in collaboration with sister security agencies.
The seized materials were subsequently handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) for further processing.
Beyond enforcement, the command reported a significant increase in revenue collection during the first eight months of the year.
Adewole said the Oyo/Osun Area Command generated N65,661,343,026.94 between January and August 2026, compared with N57,656,161,990.24 collected during the corresponding period in 2025.
The figure represents a 13.88 per cent increase year-on-year.
The acting controller attributed the growth to enhanced revenue collection, trade facilitation, increased stakeholder engagement and improved compliance by businesses operating within the command’s jurisdiction.
He assured legitimate businesses that Customs would continue to combine enforcement with trade facilitation, while maintaining particular attention to goods with implications for national security and public safety.
The latest seizures add to the command’s anti-smuggling activities under Adewole, who has repeatedly cited intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies as key components of its enforcement strategy. Earlier in 2026, the command also reported seizures involving foreign rice, illicit drugs, used tyres, petroleum products and firearms.
