Massive seizures and revenue breakthrough herald Comptroller Wale Adenuga’s leadership of the Seme Border Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
By Innocent Chukwu
”I’m a revenue officer. I was the DC Revenue at Apapa Command, so I know what it can take to generate revenue. Our goal is to reduce smuggling at Seme Border to barest minimum, and when we have achieved that our revenue will increase”.
With these words, Comptroller Wale Adenuga has revealed his mission to the busiest international land border in the South west region.
One month in the saddle, Comptroller Adenuga has begun to rewrite the performance history of the Seme Border Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), not with mere rhetoric, but with concrete actions and evidences that have got the Command cracking in the areas of facilitation of international trade, cracking down on the activities of die-hard smugglers which resulted in massive seizures of unlawful imports, as well as an upsurge in the revenue generation into the government coffers. Though not a man of many words, Adenuga insisted that his administration as the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the border Command would not disappoint the confidence of the Customs management reposed in him because he had already prepared himself to take on the challenges that would be inherent in leading the Command that is strategic to the Federal Government.
Hence, during his maiden media briefing to showcase the Command’s record-breaking performance under his watch on Thursday, October 9, 2025, Comptroller Adenuga had stressed his commitment to align with the strategic vision of the Customs management captured in ”Consolidation, Collaboration and Innovation” to drive his leadership.
Speaking at the media briefing, the CAC said that he believed in the fact that when trade is facilitated effectively, and processes are streamlined, costs will be reduced while more revenue will be generated into the Federation Account.
He maintained that being “Guided by the CGC’s commitment to transparency and modernization, the Seme Area Command has intensified efforts to simplify procedures, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and ensure that legitimate traders enjoy the full benefits of Customs modernization and regional integration along the Lagos–Abidjan corridor”.
According to him, the Command generated a total of ₦1.5 billion in September 2025, which is about 182 percent increase from the ₦531 million which the Command generated in August 2025. Comptroller Adenuga assumed office at the border Command on Monday September 8, 2025.
Reflecting on the huge revenue generation under one month of his resumption of duty, Comptroller Adenuga said, “This outstanding performance reflects the effectiveness of the CGC’s reform agenda built on compliance, transparency and data-driven monitoring of goods as well as the dedication of officers and men who continue to embody his vision of a modern, efficient and accountable Customs Service”.
On the area of export trade, Adenuga said given the Command’s alignment with the Federal Government’s drive to diversify the economy through non-oil exports, the Command facilitated the export of 53,989.46 metric tonnes of goods with a Free on Board (FOB) value of ₦7.9 billion, while the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) fee totaled ₦39.8 million. Goods exported through the Command within the time under review included agricultural produce and manufactured goods, which the CAC said demonstrated the renewed confidence of exporters in the Seme Border Area Command as a viable trade hub under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS).
On anti-smuggling, Adenuga enthused that “Under the guidance of the CGC’s zero-tolerance stance on smuggling, Seme Command remains unwavering in its commitment to suppress smuggling and protect national security, public health and economic stability”.
Hence, during the period under review, the Command’s operatives, through credible intelligence and strong inter-agency collaboration, made significant seizures which included five trucks conveying a total of 10,000 bags of expired flour originating from Egypt, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦1.2 billion. The interception of the unlawful import was achieved through a joint operation of the Command with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) at the border.
“The health risks associated with consuming such expired products could have led to severe infections, food poisoning, and long-term health complications. Beyond health implications, such unwholesome goods undermine local industries and erode consumer trust,” Adenuga stressed.
Other seizures recorded include, 1,104 parcels of Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana) intercepted through actionable intelligence, 120 packs of tramadol of 120mg with Two suspects handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Seme Command on October 7, 2025 for further investigation, 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. The total DPV for all the seizures amounted to ₦1.9 billion.
Speaking further, Comptroller Adenuga said, “These results underscore the CGC’s operational philosophy that smuggling is an economic sabotage that robs the nation of vital revenue and endangers public welfare. Our position is clear along the Lagos-Abidjan that any economic resource diverted into smuggling will be a colossal waste; it will be better to channel such resources into legitimate business that could empower thousands of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and create jobs”.
