The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted contraband and illicit goods with a combined duty paid value (DPV) of N365.16 million, including 1,306 sacks of expired and decomposing noodles, 3,300 cartridges of explosives and illicit drugs.
The Customs Area Controller, Seme Command, Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Seme Border, Badagry, Lagos State.
Kaila said the seizures were made through intelligence-driven operations and sustained surveillance across the command’s area of responsibility.
He said officers intercepted a truck falsely declared to be carrying food items, only to discover 1,306 sacks of expired and waste noodles, each weighing 50 kilogrammes.
According to him, some of the noodles had deteriorated and were already decomposing, while intelligence indicated that the products were allegedly intended to be repackaged, relabelled and introduced into the Nigerian market.
‘Had this shipment succeeded, countless families would have been exposed to serious health hazards ranging from food poisoning and gastrointestinal diseases to other life-threatening medical complications,’ he said.
The comptroller said the seizure demonstrated that border control was not only about protecting the economy but also safeguarding public health.
He added that the command separately intercepted 1,268 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50 kilogrammes, smuggled through illegal routes.
Kaila said the smuggling of the rice not only denied the government legitimate revenue but also undermined its agricultural policies, discouraged local rice production and threatened the livelihoods of Nigerian farmers.
On illicit drugs and harmful substances, the Customs boss said the command intercepted 373 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, 90 packs of Tramaking 250mg, 69 packs of Royal Tapentadol 250mg and 310,000 sticks of Time/Yes cigarettes.
He said the seizures had helped disrupt criminal supply chains and prevented potentially harmful substances from reaching communities.
‘Through these interceptions, the Seme Area Command has disrupted criminal supply chains and prevented these dangerous products from reaching our communities,’ Kaila said.
He said the command also intercepted 3,300 cartridges of explosive materials being illegally conveyed through the border corridor.
According to him, the explosives posed a serious threat to national security because they could be used to facilitate terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
Kaila said the explosive materials, along with one suspect, had been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit for safe custody and further investigation.
The command also seized one used speedboat, one used water bike, a 2017 model Toyota Land Cruiser, a 2016 model Toyota RAV4 and a 2010 model Nissan Versa.
Kaila said the combined duty-paid value of the items displayed was N365,163,709.
He warned smugglers that the Seme border would no longer provide a safe passage for economic saboteurs.
‘To those engaged in smuggling activities, our message remains unequivocal: Seme is no longer a safe corridor for economic sabotage,’ he said.
Meanwhile, the command recorded a significant improvement in revenue generation, collecting N19.84 billion between January and July 2026.
Kaila said the figure represented an increase of N3.899 billion, or 24.45 per cent, over the N15.94 billion generated during the whole of 2025.
The command generated N15,941,258,676.01 in 2025, while its revenue collection between January and July 2026 stood at N19,840,280,788.50.
The comptroller said the development showed that effective enforcement and trade facilitation could work together to improve revenue generation.
He said the command remained committed to creating an enabling environment for compliant traders while denying smugglers opportunities to undermine the economy.
Kaila further disclosed that the illicit drugs and unregistered pharmaceutical products seized would be formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for investigation and necessary action.
He said the command would continue to support the Federal Government’s economic reforms, promote legitimate regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and ensure that smugglers had no safe haven within its area of responsibility.