...Kikelomo Ogundele
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has announced a significant breakthrough in revenue generation, trade facilitation, and anti-smuggling operations, recording a total revenue of ₦9,798,938,969 between March and May 2026, alongside major seizures of prohibited items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦501,845,772.
Speaking during his first official media briefing held on Monday, May 25, 2026, at the Seme Area Command Headquarters, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila, said the Command’s achievements since his assumption of office in March underscore its commitment to revenue generation, trade facilitation, and border security in line with the mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
According to the Controller, the Command recorded an increase of ₦7.61 billion, compared to the ₦2.19 billion generated during the corresponding period in 2025, representing a remarkable 448 percent growth. He attributed the impressive performance to strengthened compliance mechanisms, enhanced stakeholder cooperation, improved operational efficiency, intensified anti-revenue leakage measures, and the strategic deployment of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System.
Comptroller Kaila noted that the renewed dedication and vigilance of officers and men of the Command also played a major role in sustaining the improved revenue profile. He reaffirmed the Command’s determination to consolidate the gains through institutional reforms, intelligence-driven monitoring, and transparent trade procedures without disrupting legitimate business activities.
Describing the Seme border corridor as one of Nigeria’s busiest and most strategic land borders, the Customs Area Controller emphasized the Command’s role in regional and continental trade integration under the Economic Community of West African States Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
He disclosed that the Command has intensified engagements with licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, transport unions, importers, exporters, traditional institutions, and sister security agencies to remove operational bottlenecks, simplify clearance procedures, improve compliance awareness, and strengthen trust between Customs and the trading public. According to him, officers of the Command have also continued to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through guidance on export documentation and regulatory compliance to enhance access to regional and international markets.
On anti-smuggling operations, Comptroller Kaila revealed that coordinated intelligence-led enforcement activities along the Seme-Badagry corridor and adjoining routes led to the interception of several prohibited and restricted items within the last two months. Among the seizures were 1,000 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, a prohibited narcotic substance, which he said would be formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and prosecution.
The Command also intercepted substantial quantities of unregistered pharmaceutical products, including codeine-based cough syrups and sexual enhancement drugs lacking certification from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. The seized products include 55 bottles of Ultimate Plus Maca Syrup (100ml each), 88 packs of 99 Bullets Herbal Medicine (30ml each), 10 cartons of Ultimate Plus Maca Sildenafil Citrate 200mg, 14 cartons of Super Sexy Sildenafil Citrate 200mg, 14 cartons of Machine Man Sildenafil Citrate 200mg, quantities of Bottom Up Sildenafil Citrate 200mg, 100 packs of Tramaking, and 100 packs of Tempendol. The items, he said, would be transferred to NAFDAC for regulatory action.
Other seizures recorded by the Command include 2,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 340 kegs of 25 litres each of foreign vegetable oil, 103 kegs of 30 litres each of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 993 cartons of foreign spaghetti, and 250 bales of used clothing, with a cumulative Duty Paid Value of ₦501,845,772.
Comptroller Kaila reiterated the Command’s zero-tolerance policy against smuggling, warning smugglers and their collaborators that the Seme border would not serve as a safe haven for illicit trade. He stated that the Command has strengthened its intelligence network, enhanced surveillance capacity across land and maritime routes, and deepened collaboration with security and regulatory agencies to combat trans-border crimes and economic sabotage.
He also encouraged compliant traders and legitimate business operators to continue utilizing the Service’s trade facilitation platforms and dispute-resolution mechanisms, stressing that compliance remains the safest, fastest, and most cost-effective means of conducting international trade.
The Customs Area Controller commended officers and men of the Seme Area Command for their resilience, discipline, and commitment to duty, while appreciating critical stakeholders, host communities, and members of the media for their support and partnership in promoting transparency and public awareness.
He reaffirmed that the Nigeria Customs Service, under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, remains committed to balancing revenue generation with trade facilitation, border security, and national economic development in line with the Federal Government’s reform agenda.
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