The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has generated a revenue of N20, 792, 372.99 through the issuance of demand notices from irregular importation and auction sales of seized petroleum products as four suspects in connection with several seizures were arrested.
The Controller of the FOU Zone A , Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu who disclosed this during his maiden press briefing since he assumed office in April 23, 2025 said since he took over leadership of the unit, he has been committed to leveraging his extensive experience to effectively navigate the complexities of the unit.
He stated that in a significant achievement in the unit’s ongoing battle against illicit trade, the Unit’s team acted on credible intelligence and successfully intercepted and seized 7X20ft containers filled with various illicit items within the Lagos metropolis and preliminary investigations revealed the following contents: MSKU 8551954 – Used tyres and vehicle, SYDU 1479614 = foreign parboiled rice, MSKU 7751689 = foreign parboiled rice, MSKU 798700 = foreign parboiled rice, ZCSU 8845072 = New shoes, ZCSU 7055181= New Clothes , PIDU 4258491= New bag.
Comptroller Shuaibu added that within the short period of 3 weeks, the unit has inflicted substantial losses on the non-state actors through the interception of numerous illegal goods which include: 4,085 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg—equivalent to 7 trailer loads, 15 illegally imported foreign-used vehicles, 82 packs of Tramadol, with 10 sachets per pack, 246 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, 290 jerry cans of premium motor spirit (PMS), 12 Bales and 4 sacks of used clothing.
In line with the dictate of the NCS to foster inter-agency collaboration, the seized 246kg of cannabis sativa were handed over to the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) while the tramadol capsules were handed over to the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control ( NAFDAC ) for further investigation and prosecution.
“Our unit generates revenue primarily through the interventions executed by our personnel, issuing demand notices (DN) where shortfalls are identified, and conducting auction sales of seized perishable goods.
“We don’t know whether the items in the container came from the ports, from the border, or picked from some various warehouses where they were kind of transloaded, or otherwise. Our investigations are ongoing.
“We encourage the general public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities related to smuggling or illicit trade. I also urge our declarants to remain honest in their declarations to avoid unnecessary bottleneck.
” In an era characterized by increasing global integration, efficient trade facilitation is vital for unlocking economic potential, creating jobs, and fostering regional integration. I take this responsibility seriously. Our intelligence driven operations are designed to create a more efficient, transparent, and inclusive trading environment that will benefit our stakeholders and the public through barrier-free operations, as we intend to collapse all patrol points within Lagos metropolis. ” , he said.
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