The Kano/Jigawa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), says it intercepted various smuggled goods with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N1.01 billion between January 1 and March 10, 2026.
According to reports gathered, the Acting Customs Area Controller of the Command, Deputy Comptroller UU Adamu disclosed this on Tuesday during his maiden press briefing held at the Customs House in Bompai, Kano.
He said the seizures were made through intelligence-driven operations, coordinated patrols and strategic surveillance across major routes and border corridors in Kano and Jigawa states. He added that the command also strengthened collaboration with other security and regulatory agencies in tackling smuggling and illicit trades.
Among the seizures recorded within the period was the interception of undeclared foreign currencies at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on January 5. The currencies include 106,500 US dollars, 134,256 Saudi Riyals, 28 Chinese Yuan and 20 Ghana Cedis.
The command also intercepted 1,447 pieces of smuggled used pneumatic tyres along the Yan Awaki Eastern Bypass in Kano on January 14 with a DPV of N28.2 million
Similarly, on January 20 and 22, officers of the command intercepted two smuggled Dong Feng vehicles along the Kano–Hadejia and Maiduguri roads with a combined DPV of N97.7 million. One of the vehicles was discovered to contain six silver metal bars weighing 12.2 kilograms valued at N61 million.
In another development, the command arrested an outbound passenger at the airport on February 18 with undeclared silver metal bars weighing 22.8 kilograms concealed in his luggage. The suspect and the precious metals were later handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation
The command also intercepted a Citroen bus carrying 35 bales of second-hand clothing and 10 kegs of foreign vegetable oil along the Babura axis of Jigawa State. Other seizures include a Howo truck with forged temporary vehicle importation documents and another truck loaded with 2,765 cartons of foreign spaghetti, a product on the federal government’s import prohibition list.
In addition, Customs officers intercepted 503 master cartons of Pregabalin 300mg Nervigesic capsules, totaling over 15 million capsules, at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company facility of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. The pharmaceutical products, valued at N729.9 million, were suspected to be fake and without registration from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The command further recorded the interception of two suspected rustled cows, a live lion cub, as well as pangolins, in separate operations within Kano metropolis. The animals and suspects were handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action.
Adamu said the operations were in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and international conventions protecting endangered wildlife.
He warned individuals involved in economic sabotage to desist from illegal activities, stressing that the command would continue to intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to protect the nation’s economy and facilitate legitimate trade.
The acting controller also commended stakeholders, host communities and the media for their continued cooperation, urging the public to support the service with credible information to combat smuggling and other illicit activities.
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