The Ogun 1 Customs Area Command Idiroko Border sustains the suppression of smuggling activities in Ogun State in the face of life-threatening challenges
By Innocent Chukwu
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) in charge of Ogun 1 Command, Idiroko Border in Ogun State, acting Comptroller OO Afeni, has revealed that part of the challenges facing the Command remained the deadly attacks on the patrol officers by notorious smugglers operating in the state. Deputy Comptroller Afeni also said that some of his officers who sustained life-threatening injuries were receiving treatments at undisclosed hospitals in the state.
Speaking further on the challenges facing the Command, the acting CAC who commended the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi, for providing adequate logistics for their operations, added that another obstacle to the Command’s operations was the GSM network issues at the Idiroko Border, which he said clashes with that of the Benin Republic most of the times. The network clashes between Nigeria and Benin Republic make it impossible for effective communication amongst officers during operational activities.
However, the Customs Chief insisted that none of the challenges was big enough to hinder the command from carrying out the lawful mandate of securing the nation through the suppression of smuggling activities, and the facilitation of legitimate trade, adding that “We’ll continue to partner with sister agencies to rid Nigeria of proliferation of small and light weapons”.
He sounded stern warning to die-hard smugglers who attacked Customs officers that if they failed to desist from such nefarious acts, they would soon face the wrath of the law. “We will not fold our hands and allow smugglers destroy our country. We must act decisively to compel these elements to surrender”, Afeni vowed.
The Ogun 1 Customs boss made these disclosures during the first monthly media briefing for 2026 to showcase the successful outings of the Command in the recent times. The event took place on Thursday, January 29 at the Command’s headquarters, Idiroko Border. Speaking during media parley, the CAC added that the purpose of the briefing was to highlight the remarkable achievements of the Command in 2025 and notable progress of 2026 which according to him, underscored the unwavering commitment of the Area Command under his watch to pursue the core mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) which includes anti-smuggling, trade facilitation and revenue generation.
Although the Ogun 1 Command is basically focused on enforcement and anti-smuggling, the CAC hinted that in 2025, the Command was able to generate and remit a total sum of N454, 672, 406.30 to both the Federation and non-federation Accounts. The amount generated, he said, represented a significant increase of about 47 per cent when compared with the N275,835,602 generated in 2024.
The Command is determined to, and focused on raising the bar of its revenue generation in 2026 in order to surpass the 2025 revenue by a large margin. To make good the pursuit of this objective, Acting Comptroller Afeni hinted that between January 1 and Thursday January 29, 2016, the Command generated a total of N106.277 million which was remitted into the Federation Account. The January revenue figure is N89,584,419 or 84.3 per cent higher than what was generated in January 2025.
The CAC said the revenue upsurge in January 2026 was achieved through the elimination of illicit transactions, compliance enforcement, cooperation of compliant traders, collection from baggage assessment, as well as the proceeds from auction sales of seized Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
In the area of anti-smuggling operations, the acting CAC said, “In line with the provisions of extant laws, trade guidelines and enforcement of government fiscal policy measures, the Command has further strengthened its anti-smuggling operations against economic saboteurs through credible intelligence and continuous partnering with other relevant agencies for the effective policing of our vast land borders”.
In effect, a total of 487 seizures were recorded in 2025, with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N4.1 billion. This represents an increase of N2.3 billion compared with the DPV of N1.8 billion of 2024.
The seized items were 22,725 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, and equivalent of 37 trailer loads, 2,669 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) (66,725 liters), 2,128 Red star cartridges, 13,332 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, 25 bales used clothing, 11 units of foreign used vehicles and tractor, 2,034 pieces of used pneumatic tyres, 12 cartons of Gino Tomatoes, 18 bags of 50kg Sugar, one carton of Inhalator insecticide, 4,228 cartons of Doga brand spaghetti of 10kg weight and 2,097 kegs of 25 liters vegetable oil.
- Others seizures were, 1,315 pieces of Riodin explosives, 11 units of dane guns, 2 units of Revolver pistol, 2 units of locally made guns, 27 wraps of Crystal Meth weighing 28.90kg, 16 pieces of Heroin weighing 16kg as well as six units used Boxer Motorcycle which serves as means of conveyance.
The DPV of the seizures for the year 2025 was computed at N4,130,931,100, while the DPV of the corresponding year 2024 was N1,791,007,246. This showed that there was an increment of N2,339,923,854.
“These achievements are testaments to the commitment of our officers to combating smuggling activities, protecting the economy, and safeguarding the wellbeing of our society”, Afeni said.
From January 1 to the morning of Thursday, January 29, 2026, smuggled items worth DPV N721,453,612 were also seized by the Command.
These seizures included 1,042 bags of smuggled rice weighing 50kg each, 3,738 parcels of cannabis sativa, 780 units of used tyres, two unit of locally made Riffles, 198 pieces of Cartridges, 473 kegs PMS (11,825 liters), and six used vehicles and one means of conveyance.
Others were, four sacks of 25kg of Caffeine Ahydrous which the CAC said would be subjected to further examination by NAFDAC to ascertained the value, 72 packs Soduku plant extraction toothpaste of 120g, 84 Soduku Vitamin D of 108g each and two pieces of traditional carvings.
“The two seized traditional carvings will be sent for expert appraisal to determine the next course of action. This incident underscores the ongoing threat to our cultural heritage; Ogun I Command under my watch will act decisively to nip antiquity theft in the bud to protect our national legacy,” said Afeni.
In its inter-agency collaboration, the Ogun 1 Command stressed the maintenance of a robust synergy with sister security agencies at the Idiroko-Igolo Border post which is a boost to its operations. Some of the sister agencies include the Department of State Service (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), National Drug Law enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the military.
Others are the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), Nigeria Police, Port Health Services and National Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).
The Ogun 1 Customs Command said it also maintains a robust relationship with the border/host communities, traditional institutions, the youths, as well as religious leaders in pursuit of its mandates.
At the event, the intercepted parcels of cannabis were handed over to the NDLEA Special Command in Idiroko to the tune of 3,454 coconut-sized parcels and another 169 bread-sized parcels.
“The rising frequency of seizures of Cannabis Sativa is a major point of concern for the command. Following the 56 seizures recorded in 2025, twenty-nine days into this year 2026, we have already intercepted 10 seizures of narcotics of different sizes. This highlights a persistent supply chain driven by local demand. We are utilizing all available resources to track these traffickers and disrupt their supply chain”, DC Afeni threatened.
The arms and ammunition intercepted were also handed over the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). At the handover ceremony, the acting CAC said, “This handover is in line with our commitment to strengthening partnerships with other security agencies to combat drug trafficking, proliferation of small arms and light weapons and ensure a safe society.
“Smuggling is a crime and we will continue to treat those who engage in it as criminals. We will continue to police our area of operations as enshrined in the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
“I want to express my displeasure over the spate at which the smugglers and their sympathizers attack our officers at will from carrying out their constitutional duties. Our officers were recently attacked, shot at with life bullets around Akokoro area of Iwoye, Imeko axis of the command; our official vehicles were also not spared.
“Attacking our officers will not deter the command from performing its legitimate duties. I want to warn those disgruntle elements to desist and stop confronting or obstructing officers from carrying out their legitimate duties as that will no longer be tolerated.
“No amount of intimidation, force or threat will deter us from doing what we are employed to do. We will continue to confront the challenges that militate against our successes and build on the achievements made so far in the course of carrying out our mandate.
“I want to use this opportunity to once again call on traditional rulers and community leaders to educate the youths against the dangers of smuggling, particularly the smuggling of Narcotics, Arms and Ammunition.
“I urge the general public to join hands with the Nigeria Customs Service by providing timely and credible information to help us suppress smuggling and other economic crimes. Together, we can build a prosperous nation where compliance is the norm, and criminality has no place”.
