The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has announced the seizure of various contraband goods — including illicit drugs and expired flour from Egypt — valued at ₦1.99 billion between September 1 and October 9, 2025, along the busy Lagos–Abidjan Corridor.
Speaking to journalists during his first press briefing at the command headquarters in Seme Border, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, revealed that the expired flour — about 10,000 bags worth ₦1.2 billion — was transported in five trucks before being intercepted.
Adenuga explained that the expired flour posed serious health risks and could have caused food poisoning, infections, and other long-term health problems if it had reached Nigerian consumers.
Seme Border, located in Badagry, Lagos State, is one of Nigeria’s busiest land borders, linking the country to Benin Republic and serving as a key gateway for trade across West Africa. The Lagos–Abidjan Corridor — stretching over 1,000 kilometres — connects Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, handling nearly 70% of all trade in the sub-region. However, it also remains a hotspot for smuggling and cross-border crimes.
According to Adenuga, the command has been working hard to curb smuggling activities and promote legitimate cross-border trade. Within the review period, officers also seized 1,104 parcels of cannabis sativa and 120 packs of tramadol. Two suspects were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.
Other seized items include:
2,043 bags of foreign parboiled rice (50kg each)
150 bales of second-hand clothes
169 bottles of codeine cough syrup (DSP brand)
5 used vehicles
Adenuga described smuggling as economic sabotage, saying it deprives Nigeria of revenue that could have supported small businesses and job creation.
On exports, the Seme Customs boss said the command facilitated non-oil exports totaling 53,989.46 metric tonnes of goods, valued at ₦7.9 billion (Free on Board value), with ₦39.8 million generated under the Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme. These exports, he noted, included agricultural and manufactured products — a sign of growing confidence among exporters using the Seme route under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme.
He also highlighted that the command generated ₦1.5 billion in September 2025, a huge jump from ₦531.4 million in August, representing a 182% increase.
“We’ve simplified our procedures, improved inter-agency cooperation, and ensured that legitimate traders enjoy the full benefits of Customs modernisation,” Adenuga said.
“Our efforts in trade facilitation have reduced costs, streamlined processes, and boosted revenue.”
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Adenuga reaffirmed his team’s commitment to balancing revenue generation, trade facilitation, and national security, using technology and intelligence for more effective border management.
He also appreciated the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Badagry, for its continued support in intercepting smuggled rice and other items along the waterways.
The report also recalled that Adenuga’s predecessor, Dr. Ben Oramalugo (Rtd.), recorded several major seizures during his tenure — including rice, cannabis, and second-hand clothing — as part of the service’s ongoing anti-smuggling efforts across the Lagos–Abidjan trade route.
Despite these achievements, smuggling through Nigeria’s land borders remains a major challenge, particularly in rice, used clothes, and other banned items.
