Kwara customs generates N7.9bn revenue in eight months

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kwara Area Command, generated N7,978,338,031.21 in revenue between January and August 2026, while it intercepted smuggled goods with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N604.33 million.

The Acting Area Controller of the command, Deputy Comptroller Najeem Ogundeyi, disclosed this at a press briefing on Wednesday, saying the seizures were recorded along various operational corridors in the state.

The seized items included 3,396 packets of Tramadol, 270 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 6,705 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 6,875 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), used clothing and two high-value vehicles.

Ogundeyi, who assumed duty on December 17, 2025, said the command would not allow Kwara to become a safe haven or transit route for smuggling. He stressed that the interception of foreign food products was not an opposition to food availability but part of customs’ responsibility to enforce laws governing cross-border trade.

According to him, goods moved through unapproved routes, evade regulatory checks or lack the required documentation violate the country’s trade regulations. He added that the illegal influx of foreign food products could undermine efforts to promote local agriculture, protect domestic investments and strengthen the value chain.

Among the seizures were 80 bales and six sacks of used clothing valued at N32.3 million, 6,875 litres of PMS valued at N2.75 million, and 3,396 packets of 100mg Tramadol with a DPV of N50.946 million. Customs also intercepted 14 bags of Basmati rice valued at N350,000 and 6,705 cartons of foreign spaghetti valued at N201.15 million.

The command further seized 270 bags of foreign parboiled rice valued at N25.245 million, a 2025 Toyota Highlander with a DPV of N214 million and a 2018 Dodge Charger SXT valued at N77.59 million. Ogundeyi said the combined DPV of the eight seizures was N604,333,592, adding that the Tramadol and PMS interceptions were important to protecting public health, national security and domestic fuel supplies.

He attributed the command’s performance to intelligence-led enforcement and collaboration among security agencies. Ogundeyi commended customs personnel and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for their support, while urging border communities, traditional rulers, transporters and other stakeholders to provide timely information on suspicious activities.