Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Olukayode Afeni, Acting Controller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ in Lagos, has driven intensified intelligence-led anti-smuggling operations across Nigeria’s South-West. This covers major highways, border corridors notably with Benin Republic via Ogun State, waterways, and related routes in states including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo.
With an approach that emphasises intelligence gathering, strategic patrols, inter-agency collaboration, community engagement, and a balance of firm enforcement with facilitation of legitimate trade, Deputy Comptroller Okukayode Afeni has built a record of anti smuggling excellence
While he previously led the Ogun I Area Command at Idiroko from early December 2025 until late September 2026, he built a strong track record before assuming leadership of FOU Zone ‘A’ as the 30th Acting Comptroller .
He held forte at Idiroko, a popular border area with a high-pressure corridor known for smuggling of rice, petroleum products, drugs, vehicles, arms, and other prohibited items, Afeni made life tough for smugglers with evident seizures and arrests
He made approximately 327 interceptions between December 2025 and late September 2026, with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of about ₦14.75 billion. Key items included tens of thousands of parcels of cannabis including high-potency strains, bags of foreign parboiled rice thousands, equivalent to multiple truckloads, kegs of vegetable oil, litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), spaghetti, live pangolins, foreign-used vehicles (including high-end ones), arms/ammunition/explosives, and other contraband.
.Early results included roughly ₦1.35–1.4 billion in seizures within the first six weeks, covering vegetable oil thousands of kegs moved via creeks), foreign spaghetti, rice, cannabis, and PMS.
Revenue: Generated about ₦896.5 million (January–August 2026), exceeding the target of roughly ₦545 million by over ₦350 million.
On trade facilitation,he achieved significant revival of export activity from near-zero in the comparable prior period, with reports of substantial metric tonnes of goods moved and high Free on Board (FOB) values (figures cited in the range of hundreds of millions to several billion naira depending on the exact reporting period.
Afeni’s human relation strategy showed stronger engagement with traditional rulers, youth leaders, and border communities to reduce hostility; collaboration with DSS, Army, Police, Immigration, NDLEA, and others; handover of drugs to NDLEA and arms to relevant centres; corporate social responsibility like school rehabilitation, jetty construction, tree-planting for environmental sustainability, and youth sports initiatives such as an inter-school football tournament. He also referenced use of technology such as geofencing, geospatial tracking, and drones as tech enabled strategies to combat smuggling and promote national security.
Observers have described his presence as disruptive to smuggling networks “one-week-one-trouble” style pressure against smugglers, with motivated officers and blocked routes. He stressed that difficult decisions were taken for institutional targets rather than personal gain.
At FOU Zone A, Afeni has prioritized intelligence-driven operations, route denial, inter-agency synergy, and stakeholder engagement while warning that enforcement will remain firm, lawful, and respectful of human dignity.
Notable recent operations within weeks of assumption of duty include Illicit drugs and pharmaceuticals (DPV ~₦511.4 million): Items included 121 parcels of cannabis sativa (~65.9 kg), crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, synthetic/hybrid cannabis, and 57 cartons of codeine syrup. Vehicles Toyota Hiace and Sienna and suspects were involved.
Specific interceptions included a Hiace bus on the Lagos-Benin Expressway near Ore, Ondo State (around 10 October 2026) and codeine on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (around 7 October). Exhibits and suspects were handed over to NDLEA and NAFDAC.
On wildlife trafficking, eight live pangolins rescued in two operations in Ogun State (three on 12 October near Oyo Dam/Igbo-Ora; five on ~23 October along the Igbo-Ora/Imeko-Afon axis. Animals were concealed in sacks/cages; suspects fled.
The pangolins which are highly trafficked and protected under CITES Appendix I and Nigerian law, were handed to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative Centre for rehabilitation.
He has enabled broader targeting of foreign parboiled rice, frozen chicken, and other prohibited items continues, with reports of blocked identified smuggling routes (including Idiroko/Ogun/Seme and Oyo corridors) putting pressure on networks and some colluding elements.
Inter-agency and stakeholder work: In mid-October 2026, Afeni conducted familiarization visits to Lagos State Police Command, DSS, Nigerian Army 81 Division and 9 Brigade, NDLEA Lagos Strategic Command, and Nigeria Immigration Service.
Emphasis was on intelligence sharing, joint operations, and preparation for heightened risks around election periods. He has also engaged maritime and trade stakeholders, urging honest declarations, voluntary compliance, and partnership to facilitate legitimate trade while suppressing illicit activity.
Afeni’s model combines proactive intelligence and patrols with partnerships with sister security agencies, communities, regulators, and conservation groups and a dual focus on enforcement plus legitimate trade facilitation and revenue protection.
Those who know him attest that tougher days await smugglers, duty evaders and other economic saboteurs that contravene the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023
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