Customs Intercepts Spaghetti, Drugs, Rice Worth ₦2bn in Ogun

The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded seizures of smuggled goods with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over ₦2 billion within two weeks of intensified border operations.

The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, disclosed this on Wednesday during his maiden press briefing held at Idiroko, Ogun State.

Afeni, who assumed office on December 4, 2025, said the seizures were achieved through intelligence-driven operations, improved surveillance, and strengthened collaboration with sister security agencies and community stakeholders.

He said the Command intercepted an Iveco truck with registration number RMY-354-XA on December 12, 2025, conveying 4,998 cartons of Doga brand spaghetti and 419 cartons of Oba brand spaghetti, all in 10kg packs and illegally imported from Turkey.

According to him, another interception followed on December 13, 2025, when Customs operatives seized a DAF truck with registration number JHN-590-XA conveying 2,200 kegs of vegetable oil of 25 litres each, allegedly smuggled into the country from Indonesia.

Afeni said the food items, which are prohibited for importation into Nigeria, had a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦291.26 million, while the trucks used to convey them were valued at ₦222 million.

He warned that smuggled food items posed serious health risks to Nigerians, noting that such products often bypass mandatory health and safety checks by relevant regulatory agencies.

The Area Controller further disclosed that the Command recorded major narcotics seizures, including 11 wraps of Crystal Meth weighing 12kg, 16 pieces of heroin weighing 16kg, and 3,373 wraps of Cannabis Sativa weighing 1,502kg.
Other items seized by the Command include 6,750 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 4,738 bags of foreign parboiled rice, two foreign-used vehicles, 309 bundles of used pneumatic tyres, and eight means of conveyance.

He said the total Duty Paid Value of all seizures amounted to ₦2,006,008,898, adding that the contraband items were intercepted across several locations in Ogun State, including Idiroko, Ipokia, Imeko, Abeokuta, Lusada, Ado-Odo and Igbo-Ora axes.

Afeni expressed concern over the rising threat of drug trafficking, particularly cannabis, citing the 2025 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which identified cannabis as the most widely used illicit substance globally.

He said the Command would formally hand over the seized cannabis to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Idiroko Special Command, for further investigation and prosecution.

On revenue generation, Afeni disclosed that the Command generated ₦27.29 million as at December 16, 2025, despite being primarily an enforcement command.

He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, for his leadership and support, as well as officers and men of the Ogun I Area Command for their dedication and professionalism.

Afeni warned smugglers and their collaborators to steer clear of Ogun I Command, stressing that the Nigeria Customs Service would continue to deploy all lawful means to protect the nation’s economic and security interests

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