By Kayode Abdulazeez, Ilorin
The Nigeria Customs Service, Kwara Area Command, has intercepted contraband goods with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N604.33 million, including 3,396 packets of Tramadol, 6,705 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 270 bags of foreign parboiled rice and two luxury vehicles.
The seizures, made across various operational corridors in Kwara, also included 6,875 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), used clothing and 14 bags of Basmati rice.
The Acting Area Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller Najeem Akanmu Ogundeyi, disclosed this during a press briefing in Ilorin, saying the seizures demonstrated the Command’s determination to prevent Kwara from becoming a transit route for smuggled goods.
Ogundeyi, who said he assumed duty in the Command on December 17, 2025, declared that the Service would continue to deploy intelligence and patrol operations to frustrate smugglers operating through identified vulnerable routes.
“The Kwara Command would never become a safe haven or transit corridor for illicit cross-border trade. That stance remains uncompromising,” he said.
According to him, the seized items comprised 80 bales and six sacks of used clothing intercepted along the Ogbomoso/Jebba axis with a DPV of N32.3 million; 6,875 litres of PMS seized along the Bukuro/Okuta/Chikanda axis valued at N2.75 million; and 3,396 packets of Tramadol 100mg intercepted along the Okuta axis with a DPV of N50.946 million.
Others were 14 bags of Basmati rice valued at N350,000, intercepted along the Bode-Saadu Expressway; 6,705 cartons of foreign spaghetti worth N201.15 million seized along the Bode-Saadu axis; and 270 bags of foreign parboiled rice with a DPV of N25.245 million.
The Command also intercepted a 2025 Toyota Highlander valued at N214 million along the Bode-Saadu Expressway and a 2018 Dodge Charger SXT with a DPV of N77.59 million along the Lagos/Kwara highway at Eyenkorin.
Ogundeyi said the interception of the pharmaceutical product was particularly significant because of the danger posed by the unregulated movement of controlled substances.
“The seizure of 3,396 packets of Tramadol (100mg), valued at over N50.9 million, highlights the critical role of border security in public health. Unregulated entry of controlled substances poses severe risks to national security and public safety,” he said.
He also explained that the seizure of PMS was aimed at preventing the diversion of petroleum products meant for domestic consumption into illicit border markets.
On food products, the Acting Controller said Customs’ interception of foreign food items should not be interpreted as opposition to food availability in the country, but as enforcement of laws regulating cross-border trade.
He said the illegal influx of foreign food products through porous borders could undermine Federal Government policies designed to encourage local agricultural production and protect domestic investments.
“When goods are moved through unapproved routes, bypass regulatory checks, or lack proper documentation, the Service is legally mandated to intervene,” Ogundeyi said.
He added that such enforcement was necessary to protect legitimate traders from unfair competition created by operators who evade established procedures.
