‎Seme Customs Command Records ₦9.8bn Revenue, Intercepts Illicit Drugs, Other Contraband Worth 501.8m In Two Months

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Barely two months of Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila's saddle as the Customs Area Controller of Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, the command has generated the sum of  ₦9,798,938,969 (Nine Billion, Seven hundred and ninety eight million, nine hundred and thirty eight thousand, nine hundred and sixty nine naira) only as revenue representing an increase of  7,610,533,220 over the ₦2,188,405,749 collected within the same period in year 2025 reflecting a 448 percent increase when compared with the revenue generated within the corresponding period in 2025.

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‎Speaking during his maiden media  briefing held at the Command Headquarters yesterday, Monday 25th May, 2026, the Area Controller described the achievements as a reflection of intensified enforcement, stronger stakeholder collaboration, and renewed operational efficiency  employed by the command on his assumption of office.

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According to him, the impressive growth was driven by strengthened compliance measures, improved stakeholder cooperation, anti-revenue leakage strategies, enhanced operational efficiency and the deployment of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System. He also attributed the performance to the dedication and vigilance of officers and men of the Command.

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‎Comptroller Kaila noted that the Command remains strategic to regional and continental trade integration, especially under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

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‎He explained that the Command, through sustained stakeholder consultations and regular interface meetings, the Command has addressed operational bottlenecks, simplified clearance procedures, improved compliance awareness, and strengthened mutual trust between the Service and the trading public as the officers continue to provide guidance and support to Small and Medium Enterprises seeking access to regional and international markets, particularly in export documentation and regulatory compliance processes. These initiatives are directly aligned with the Federal Government’s economic diversification agenda, promotion of non-oil exports, and ongoing efforts to improve Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business ranking.

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‎In the area of anti-smuggling, Comptroller Kaila said the Command, through intelligence-led operations conducted along the Seme-Badagry corridor and adjoining routes, recorded several interceptions and seizures of contraband goods and illicit drugs.

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‎Among the seizures made within this period were 2,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 340 kegs of vegetable oil, 103 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 993 cartons of foreign spaghetti and 250 bales of used clothing.

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‎The command boss also stated that his officers intercepted large consignments of unregistered and potentially harmful pharmaceuticals, including codeine-based syrups and sexual enhancement drugs without National Agency For Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) certification. 

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‎These includes 55 bottles of Ultimate Plus Maca Syrup; 88 packs of 99 Bullets Herbal Medicine and 10 cartons of Ultimate Plus Maca Sildenafil Citrate.

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‎Others are 14 cartons of Super Sexy Sildenafil Citrate 200mg; 14 cartons of Machine Man Sildenafil Citrate; Quantities of Bottom Up Sildenafil Citrate; 100 packs of Tramaking and 100 packs of  Tempendol and 1000 parcels of Cannabis Sativa.

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‎The briefing also witnessed the handing over of the seized illicit drugs and pharmaceuticals to the representatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA and NAFDAC respectively for further investigation and prosecution.

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The CAC warned smugglers to steer clear of the Seme border, stressing that the Command has strengthened its intelligence network and expanded surveillance across land and maritime routes. “Let me be clear: Seme Command will not be a safe haven for economic saboteurs,” he declared.

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‎He acknowledged the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi PhD, Mfr for reforms balancing revenue generation, security and trade facilitation.

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The Comptroller went further to disclose that six suspects were arrested in connection with the cannabis seizures but had been released on administrative bail pending further investigation.

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‎He commended the officers and men of the Seme Area Command for their resilience, discipline, and unwavering commitment to duty while extending his appreciation to critical stakeholders and host communities for their continued support, cooperation, and collaboration with the Command. 

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The command boss assured that the Nigeria Customs Service, under the purposeful leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi , remains fully committed to balancing effective revenue generation with trade facilitation, border security and national economic development.

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‎In his words, “This remarkable achievement is attributable to strengthened compliance mechanisms, improved stakeholder cooperation, intensified anti-revenue leakage measures and enhanced operational efficiency.The rate at which these hard substances are coming into the country is highly alarming.

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‎“We cannot fold our arms and allow unscrupulous elements to destroy our youth through illicit drugs.The Seme Area Command will not serve as a safe haven for smugglers and other economic saboteurs".

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