The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun I Area Command, has intercepted contraband with a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦2.469 billion, including a 2026 Range Rover Sport Autobiography P530 valued at ₦417.01 million.
Acting Area Controller of the command, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, disclosed the seizures on Thursday during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Idiroko, Ogun State.
The seizures, recorded during the command’s recent operations in August and September 2026, included 3,893 parcels of cannabis weighing 1.878 tonnes, 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 428 pneumatic tyres and 8,675 litres of Premium Motor Spirit stored in kegs.
Other items intercepted were 24 bales of second-hand clothing, four sacks of used shoes and 500 litres of diesel.
Afeni said the seized Range Rover was one of the major highlights of the command’s recent anti-smuggling operations, putting its value at ₦417,011,982.
He said the total Duty Paid Value of all the seized items stood at ₦2,469,153,523.68, describing the seizures as evidence of the command’s firm stance against smuggling and other activities capable of undermining the economy.
According to him, the command’s operations were focused on combating smuggling, strengthening border security and ensuring that legitimate trade could continue along the Nigeria-Benin border corridor.
Afeni also announced the handover of the 3,893 parcels of cannabis to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s Idiroko Special Command for further investigation.
He said the growing cooperation among security and enforcement agencies had strengthened operations along the border.
“Border security is a collective responsibility,” Afeni said, adding that the command had, over the past 10 months, held high-level joint engagements and security meetings to coordinate activities along the Ogun border corridors.
He listed the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service and NDLEA among the agencies with which Customs had deepened operational cooperation.
The command, he added, had also maintained engagement with traditional rulers, youth leaders and border community associations in an effort to build trust and minimise tensions arising from enforcement operations.
Afeni said the command’s activities also included corporate social responsibility and environmental initiatives designed to support communities hosting its operations.
He attributed the recent seizures to the dedication and resilience of Customs officers and men, as well as the support of Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the management of the service.
The acting controller commended personnel for maintaining their commitment despite difficult operating conditions and thanked traditional rulers, host communities and media organisations for supporting the command.
Afeni warned smugglers and other operators involved in illegal cross-border activities that enforcement operations would be intensified.
“Ogun I Command will continue to be a hostile zone for uncustomed goods and illicit trade,” he said.
The latest seizure comes against the backdrop of sustained anti-smuggling operations by the Ogun I Area Command. Earlier in 2026, the command reported other major interceptions involving foreign rice, petroleum products and large quantities of narcotics along the Nigeria-Benin border.
