The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun I Area Command, has intensified its crackdown on cross-border smuggling activities along the Idiroko border axis, recording seizures valued at over N6.77 billion, including thousands of parcels of cannabis indica popularly known as Ghanaian Loud. Speaking during a press briefing at the command headquarters on……
The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun I Area Command, has intensified its crackdown on cross-border smuggling activities along the Idiroko border axis, recording seizures valued at over N6.77 billion, including thousands of parcels of cannabis indica popularly known as Ghanaian Loud.
Speaking during a press briefing at the command headquarters on Tuesday, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Oladapo Afeni, said the command had sustained pressure on smuggling networks operating along the Idiroko Border corridor linking Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
This was disclosed in a statement shared on the X handle of the Nigeria Customs, on Thursday, May 14.
Afeni stated that the command recently reviewed and strengthened its enforcement strategy following an earlier handover of 2,543 parcels of cannabis sativa to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Idiroko Special Area Command.
“A few weeks ago, on 16 March to be precise, the command handed over 2,543 parcels of cannabis sativa to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Idiroko Special Command and since the milestone, we have not retreated nor surrendered, instead, we refined our tactics and re-strategised,” he said.
The acting controller disclosed that operatives intercepted 1,759 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice, 10,126 parcels of cannabis indica, 2,685 kegs of vegetable oil and 14,550 litres of Premium Motor Spirit concealed in jerricans.
Other items seized, according to him, included cartons of turkey vegetable oil, Basmati rice, footwear, sacks of cannabis sativa, second-hand clothing and diesel products.
Afeni warned that smuggling activities, particularly illicit drugs and imported rice, posed serious threats to public health, national security and local industries.
He assured legitimate traders of the command’s support, stressing that the agency remained committed to balancing trade facilitation with border security.
“Our doors are widely open for consultation and required support. Security and trade are two sides of the same coin at our Command,” he stated.
In line with provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, the seized cannabis consignments were formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and destruction.
Receiving the exhibits on behalf of the anti-narcotics agency, Commander of the NDLEA Idiroko Special Area Command, Ekundayo Williams, described the seizure as a major breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking.
“This is not just an ordinary administrative procedure, but a strong signal to merchants of death that the Nigeria Customs Service and NDLEA share a strong collaboration in the anti-smuggling fight,” Williams said.
