The Federal Operations Unit Zone C, Owerri of the Nigeria Customs Service and its counterpart in Cross River and Akwa Ibom bring smugglers to their kneels, seizing contrabands worth several hundreds of millions of naira
By Jude Nzennaya, Port Harcourt
In its bid to align with Federal Government policies on import substitution, local production, and industrialization, the Federal Operations Unit Zone C, Owerri, of the Nigeria Customs Service has again intercepted consignment of foreign vegetable oil with a Duty Paid Value of ₦403,491,000, effectively dealing a significant blow to illicit trade networks operating in the zone.
In a briefing with newsmen, Comptroller Bashir Balogun, said the success followed strategic intelligence gathering, surveillance, and tactical coordination. Officers tracked the trucks, studied their movement patterns, this intelligence-led approach is now the Service’s has become the standard to checkmate illicit trade.
According to the Comptroller, the seized items comprise of 3,310 jerrycans of 25-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil, 10 jerrycans of 10-litre Super Delicious” vegetable oil, and 20 cartons each of 5-litre and 3-litre sunflower vegetable oil were taken off circulation. This volume of products would have flooded the markets, crashed prices for local producers, and starved government coffers of revenue.
He further disclosed that the first truck was intercepted on May 9, 2026 along the Ninth Mile corridor in Enugu State, while the second seizure was recorded on June 7, 2026, along the Onitsha-Agbor Highway in Delta State following credible intelligence with a total Duty Paid Value of ₦403,491,000.
Comptroller Balogun explained why this seizure goes beyond Customs, saying, “This seizure represents a major blow to economic saboteurs whose illegal importation of foreign vegetable oil undermines local industry, technology transfer, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings,”
“It discourages investors from putting money into Nigeria’s agro-processing sector. It threatens thousands of factory jobs and drains foreign exchange as billions exit the country to pay for illegal imports. “Every smuggled jerrycan is a job lost and a naira lost.”
He said, Smuggled vegetable oil undercuts legitimate manufacturers who pay duties, comply with NAFDAC and SON standards, and create jobs.
“Let me emphasise that the operation demonstrates the Service’s firm commitment to enforcing the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Act 2023 and the Federal Government’s fiscal and protective measures that prohibit the importation of foreign vegetable oil,” he said.
Balogun asserted that, the seized items remain in Customs custody, while investigations continue. Assuring stakeholders and the public that the Unit will not relent in its mandate to suppress smuggling, facilitate honest trade, and support Nigeria’s economic growth.
He warned smugglers and their collaborators to stay away from South-East corridor remains a no-go area for illicit trade, stressing, “FOU Zone C under my watch will keep deploying advanced enforcement tools, from strategic intelligence networks to field operations, to protect public health, national security, and the economy.”
Meanwhile, the Cross River/Calabar Free Trade Zone/Akwa Ibom Area Command has reinforced its commitment to protecting Nigerian manufacturers and preserving jobs by intercepting prohibited imported goods valued at over N273 million in Cross River State.
In a media briefing in Calabar, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Command, Comptroller Giwa Dauda, said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to safeguard local manufacturers from the adverse effects of smuggling and illegal importation.
“Officers intercepted two 20-foot containers carrying 1,996 kegs of foreign refined vegetable oil along the Odukpani-Calabar Highway on June 14, 2026, the products, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N195.5 million, were concealed in a truck and intercepted during a routine patrol operation,” he said.
Comptroller Dauda noted that vegetable oil remains one of the products in which Nigerian manufacturers have made significant investments. He explained that allowing the import of prohibited foreign products into the domestic market would undermine local production capacity, discourage investment, and threaten thousands of jobs across the agricultural and manufacturing value chains.
He stressed that “These products are listed under the Federal Government’s import prohibition policy, which seeks to stimulate local production, promote self-sufficiency, and strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base.”
Beyond the vegetable oil seizure, the Command also intercepted 1,500 used tyres and 105 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing. Combined with other seizures, the total Duty Paid Value of the prohibited items stood at N273.7 million.
The (CAC) further disclosed that officers intercepted 800 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), bringing the total volume of petrol seized by the Command in 2026 to 5,760 litres. “The product was subsequently disposed of in accordance with approved safety procedures due to its highly combustible nature”, he stated.
He warned smugglers and economic saboteurs to desist from illegal importation activities, stressing that such practices weaken local industries, distort market competition, and undermine government efforts to achieve economic diversification through industrialization.
