Customs seize N1.9bn hard drugs, expired flour at Seme border

The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Command, on Thursday said it had seized various contraband items, including illicit drugs and expired flour from Egypt, worth N1.99bn between September 1 and October 9, 2025, along the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor.

Addressing journalists during his maiden press briefing at the command in Seme Border, the Customs Area Controller, Wale Adenuga, explained that the expired flour, 10,000 bags with a duty-paid value of N1.2bn, was conveyed in five trucks.

Adenuga stated that the expired products posed serious public health risks, which could have led to infections, food poisoning, and long-term health complications if they had entered Nigerian markets.

Seme Border, located in Badagry, Lagos State, is one of Nigeria’s busiest and most sensitive land borders. It connects Nigeria to the Benin Republic and serves as a gateway for trade and movement along the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor, a 1,028-kilometre highway linking five West African countries (Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Ivory Coast). The corridor carries up to 70 per cent of West African trade, making it both a vital economic route and a hotspot for smuggling and cross-border criminal activities.

Over time, the command has intensified efforts to ensure that smugglers are pushed out of business, thereby encouraging legitimate trade.

The Seme Customs boss said that within the review period, the command seized 1,104 parcels of cannabis sativa and 120 packs of tramadol, adding that two suspects had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation.

“Other items seized within the period include 2,043 bags of foreign parboiled rice (50kg each), 150 bales of second-hand clothing, 169 bottles of DSP cough syrup with codeine, and five used vehicles,” Adenuga said.

He described smuggling as economic sabotage that deprives the nation of vital revenue and endangers public welfare, stressing that resources diverted into illicit trade could otherwise empower Small and Medium Enterprises and create jobs.

Speaking on exports, Adenuga said the Command facilitated non-oil exports totalling 53,989.46 metric tonnes of goods, with a Free on Board value of N7.9bn and a Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme fee of N39.8m.

The CAC noted that the exports comprised agricultural produce and manufactured goods, reflecting renewed confidence among exporters in Seme as a viable trade hub under the Economic Community of West African States Trade Liberalisation Scheme.

Adenuga highlighted that the Command generated N1.5bn in September 2025, up from N531.4m in August, representing a 182 per cent increase.

“The Command has intensified efforts to simplify procedures, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and ensure that legitimate traders enjoy the full benefits of customs modernisation. Our focus on trade facilitation has reduced transaction costs, streamlined processes, and ultimately increased revenue,” he said.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to balancing its mandates of revenue generation, trade facilitation, and national security, leveraging technology and intelligence for efficient border management.

Adenuga also commended the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Badagry, for its regular support in intercepting smuggled rice along the waterways.

Recall that the immediate past Customs Area Controller of the Seme Command, Dr Ben Oramalugo (Rtd), recorded several seizures, including bags of rice, used clothing, and parcels of cannabis sativa, among others, during his tenure, which lasted from February to September 2025. The seizures formed part of a broader anti-smuggling effort by the Nigeria Customs Service under Oramalugo, particularly along major trade corridors such as the Lagos–Abidjan route.

Smuggling through land borders remains a major challenge, especially in goods such as rice, used clothing, and other prohibited items. Oramalugo also emphasised the facilitation of non-oil exports, ensuring goods are moved abroad legally and that export-related fees are duly collected.

Source: Punch