Again, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu’s magical leadership at the Apapa Premier Port Customs Area Command, results not only in massive revenue generation that swells the Federal Government’s purse, but equally focuses on securing the country against smuggling in arms, ammunition, drugs and other illicit items that are harmful to the nation state
By Edu Abade
It was a gathering of the eggheads of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) led by its Comptroller-General (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who was accompanied by the Assistant Comptroller General of Customs (ACG) in charge of Enforcement and Investigation, Timi Bomodi from the Service’s headquarters in Abuja.
Also in the CGC’s entourage were the Zonal Coordinator in charge of Zone A, Lagos, ACG Charles Orbih, Customs Area Controller (CAC) in charge of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Comptroller MS Shuaibu, the CAC of Tincan Island Port Area Command, Comptroller Frank Onyeka and the host CAC BO Olomu who leads the Apapa Area 1 Command.
There was the presence of a retinue of other senior officers of Customs and Public Relations Officers(PROs) managing the public interface of various Customs Commands located in the Zone. The National PRO, Assistant Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada was also on ground to anchor the special occasion.
The event was the media briefing to showcase the massive seizures and handover of no fewer than 16 seized containers laden with arms, ammunition, as well as unregistered and prohibited pharmaceutical products at the Apapa Command on Monday, August 11, 2025.
In the past one year that Comptroller Olomu has been in charge of the Apapa Area 1 Command, which oversees the business activities at the nation’s Premier Port, Apapa Port has been transformed into a model port in the West African Sub-region. The transformation of the Apapa Port encompasses strict adherence to due process in all forms of business activities in the port which has also attracted commendations to the CAC Olomu from various local and international quarters.
Under the leadership of Comptroller Olomu, the revenue generation of the Command has been trippled, this year alone, the Apapa Area 1 Command is set to generate over N3 trillion into the Federation Account due to Comptroller Olomu’s ability to track and block areas of revenue leakages. The action remains one of a kind which is being adopted by CACs in other Commands of the Service, they have begun to copy and apply the innovation to their various Areas.
The water tight surveillance mounted by diligent officers of the Command has since checkmated the influx of illicit pharmaceutical products into the country, which informed the NCS management to stop the clearing of such products from bonded terminals outside the ports for security reasons.
No wonder the CGC was full of excitement, and praises for Comptroller Olomu and his Apapa Customs team, last Monday when he appeared in his paraphernalia to showcase the huge and mind burgling seizures of numerous smuggled items worth over N10 billion which were brought into the Apapa Premier Port’s APMT Terminal by die-hard smugglers. Such interceptions have remained the Apapa Area 1 Command’s signature performance since Olomu became the CAC last year.
Speaking at the official unveiling and handover of the products, Adeniyi explained that about three weeks ago, the NCS handed over some seized pharmaceutical products to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at Apapa, while a similar exercise was carried out in Onne, Rivers State, last week.
He lamented that besides being part of its core mandate, the preventive anti-smuggling activities also strengthen inter-agency relationships and uphold the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NAFDAC and a robust synergy with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
His words: “Today, we have seizures of 16 containers laden with prohibited drugs, expired medicament, expired food and other items which contravene our import prohibition guidelines, including arms and ammunition. These smuggled items have a harmful effect on the health and wellbeing of unsuspecting Nigerians who would have consumed them in addition to causing insecurity in the country.
“It is important to once again reiterate that the NCS is committed to rid Nigeria of illicit and harmful medical importation by breaking their supply chain as we ensure they don’t go beyond our seaports, airports and land borders into our commercial ecosystem.
“Despite our campaigns against these kinds of importation backed with seizures and arrests, the people I call merchants of death have chosen the Apapa Port as entry point for prohibited items. But as usual, they failed to pull through. We are resolute to confront these people who do not mean well for Nigerians and the economy by ensuring our entry points are not used for their unlawful acts.”
While commending the operatives in Apapa Port, Adeniyi said they achieved the feat with the support of internal intelligence and sister government agencies, which culminated in the seizure of three containers of expired margarine, three containers of used clothes and five containers of expired drugs, prohibited medicament and colorado hemp.
He said, “On July 24, 2025, during a joint physical examination with the NDLEA, a 1x40ft container number MRSU 6407089 was found to contain 202 cans of Colorado Loud (a specie of cannabis from Canada) with each can weighing 500 grams totaling 101Kg. Inside the same container, we uncovered two pump action rifles, 25 cartridges of ammunition, one Smith & Wesson Pistol with 55 rounds of ammunition, one blank and other accessories.”
“Confirming a case of false declaration and attempting to circumvent our processes, the system bill of laden listed the items of import as three Toyota Sienna and one Toyota Camry vehicles with the consignee as one Babatunde Ogidiolu Samuel.
“Consequently, two suspects, the agent, one Mr. Modi Azuka of No.1 Miracle Street, Ago Palace Way, and another suspect identified as Mrs. Lisa Akpedeme have been arrested and detained in connection with the Canadian Loud and weapons. They are currently undergoing interrogation.”
Other seized containers are those marked OERU 4243517 (40FT) found to contain 1,290 sacks of frozen chicken breast and another marked as FBIU 5507953 found to contain (40FT)1,290 sacks of frozen chicken breasts.
In a related development, another seized container marked ZCSU 7277511 (40FT) contained 305 cartons of toothpaste without NAFDAC Registration number, cartons of slippers concealed in 46 cartons of beads and40 cartons of Jalabiya, among others.
“Furthermore, on Monday morning, operatives at the Apapa Port also intercepted two containers (1x40ft and 1x20ft) carrying 2,401 cartons of codeine syrup. We also have another two suspects in connection with two containers of smuggled frozen poultry products.
“For the arms, ammunition and drugs, the two suspects shall be handed over to the NDLEA and DSS for further investigation and prosecution while the other two held for the poultry products shall be handed over to NAFDAC,” he added.
Also, in a separate incident, a container numbered CAIU 4979294 1×40 was found to contain CSP codeine syrup; another 1×40 container marked MRKU 3738603 was found to contain 1,100 cartons of expired chest and lungs tablets without NAFDAC number.
“Similarly, we also have seven other seizures comprising three containers of expired margárine and two used clothing; a 1×20 container was laden with 540 cartons of expired feed and cyprophetadine tablets without NAFDAC number.
“The Duty Paid Value of the seized items is N N10.273 billion. We have vowed to protect the national economy, the well-being of citizens and residents of Nigeria remains unshaken. Once again, we caution that the NCS, with the support of our strategic partners, will keep delivering uncompromising enforcement backed by intelligence to detect and seize all prohibited items.
“Therefore, perpetrators of these unlawful acts and their collaborators will also not be spared boy the long arms of the law whenever our investigation gives clue about their complicity in these criminal activities. Criminal elements who are determined to make our country a hub for destructive substances will always have our operatives to contend with. For us, this is a full-scale resistance and arrest session for them, and we are not ready to give up on this. We will run them out of business into jail,” Adeniyi concluded.
