The Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has seized a one tonne consignment of cocaine with a duty paid value (DPV) of twenty nine billion, four hundred and three million, seven hundred and thirty eight thousand naira only (₦29,403,738,000). The illicit substance, which was discovered in a container that was presumed empty, marks the first ever hard drug seizure in the history of the PTML Command.
At a press briefing held at the command on 11th November ,2025 the Area Controller , Comptroller Joe Anani disclosed that the discovery was made on 7th October, 2025 when the terminal operator at PTML alerted customs officials after noticing suspicious items during the disinfection of 39 empty containers meant for loading export consignments. One of the containers, identified as GCNU1332851, was found to contain 50 packages, each holding 20 parcels of cocaine. Joint tests conducted by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed the substance to be cocaine, with a total weight of 1,000 kilograms.
He noted that preliminary investigations revealed that the container had been loaded as empty at its last port of call in Freetown Sierra Leone, before arriving in Nigeria. There was no consignee linked to it, as the shipment was not listed as an import but as part of containers brought in by the terminal operator for export use.
Anani described the interception as one of the most mysterious drug seizures in the history of the service, noting that it highlights the growing sophistication of international drug trafficking networks. He commended the PTML terminal management for their vigilance and prompt reporting, as well as the synergy between service and other security agencies, including the NDLEA, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Police Anti-Bomb Squad, which jointly examined the container.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to maintaining strict surveillance and upholding integrity in port operations. He further emphasised that PTML remains a “no-go area” for any form of illegal trade and warned that all attempts to smuggle prohibited items through the port would be met with decisive enforcement action.
The CAC announced that on behalf of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the seized cocaine would be formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution.
The Strategic Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Tin Can Island Port, Daniel Ogbonna Onyishi expressed gratitude to all stakeholders present, including the Customs Area Controller, officers of the DSS, Police, and other security agencies, for their swift and coordinated response. He described the seizure as a truly mysterious one, noting that in his years of experience, such an occurrence had never been recorded at the port.
He assured Nigerians that, in line with the directives of the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), and with the agency’s robust strategic framework, a thorough investigation is already underway to uncover how the illicit substance found its way into the port.
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