FOU Zone A Intercepts Drugs Worth Over ₦5.5Bn

…As Comptroller Aliyu Calls for Stronger Collaboration Among Security Agencies

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, has recorded a major breakthrough in its anti-smuggling campaign, intercepting narcotics and contraband items valued at over ₦5.5 billion within the past eight weeks.

At a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, the Unit Controller, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, announced the seizure of cocaine worth ₦2.35 billion, alongside huge quantities of 50kg bags of rice equivalent to 15 trailers, petroleum products, used vehicles, and other prohibited goods.

Aliyu disclosed that the unit carried out 473 successful interdictions during the period, leading to the confiscation of 8,794 bags of 50kg foreign rice, 22 used vehicles, 328 bales of used clothing, 31,705 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), and a Mercedes-Benz vehicle valued at ₦119 million.

Other seizures included 531 cartons of frozen poultry, 1,188 kegs of vegetable oil, 485 used tyres, and several cartons of spaghetti and sugar.

Highlighting the narcotics bust, Aliyu revealed that operatives at the Gbaji outpost intercepted a 71-year-old suspect along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor with 6.35kg of cocaine concealed in a Toyota Highlander. The drugs, comprising powdered and crystalline variants, carry an estimated street value of ₦2.35 billion.

Under a special operation code-named Operation Hawk, the unit also seized 3,340 parcels of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as “Ghanaian loud,” weighing 1,540kg. This is even as all the seized narcotics were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a formal handover ceremony during the briefing, for further investigation and prosecution.

Lamenting the devastating impact of drug trafficking on Nigerian society, Aliyu stressed that “a lot of homes are broken due to drugs and are results of drug trafficking. Our mandate is to cut off the supply chain, and that is exactly what we are doing.”

He further disclosed the interception of four cylinders of mercury concealed in a vehicle along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor, describing the hazardous substance as regulated under international conventions.

On revenue performance, the Comptroller noted that the unit recovered ₦97.7 million through Demand Notices on under-declared consignments, reaffirming Customs’ commitment to leveraging modern technologies such as geospatial intelligence, drone surveillance, and real-time tracking to combat smuggling.

Aliyu emphasized that the evolving tactics of smugglers demand stronger collaboration among security agencies, urging a united front and deployment of cutting-edge technology to dismantle illicit trade networks.

Responding, Narcotics Commander Kabiru I.K commended the synergy between both agencies, stressing that the crackdown sends a strong signal to traffickers that the South-West corridor is under close surveillance.

With intensified enforcement, advanced technology, and deeper inter-agency collaboration, the Nigeria Customs Service says it is determined to protect Nigeria’s economy and shut down illicit trade routes across the region.