Customs Seizes 56 Containers Worth N5.53bn

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 56 containers carrying prohibited goods with a total duty-paid value of N5.53 billion at the Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Rivers State.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, while briefing journalists at the command.

Adeniyi said the seizures followed intelligence-driven and risk-based operations targeting prohibited, restricted and improperly declared consignments.

He said, “The intervention formed part of intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at preventing prohibited, restricted and improperly declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market, thereby crippling the overall productivity of our local businesses.”

According to him, unchecked importation of goods that could be produced or processed locally exposes Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and other domestic producers to unfair competition.

Adeniyi said large-scale importation of such products could weaken demand for locally made goods, discourage investment and undermine efforts to strengthen food security and create jobs.

He said, “The economic impact is especially significant in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Large-scale importation of products that Nigeria can produce or process may undermine the Federal Government’s efforts to promote local industries, strengthen food security, create jobs, and diversify the economy.”

The Customs boss stressed that the Service’s enforcement activities were not aimed at frustrating legitimate businesses but at ensuring a fair and predictable trading environment.

He said, “The Service’s risk-based approach enabled it to facilitate legitimate cargo while directing enhanced scrutiny towards consignments considered high-risk.”

The intercepted consignments comprised 45 20-foot containers of foreign vegetable oil, nine 40-foot containers of used clothing and two 20-foot containers of Channy tomato paste.

Adeniyi commended the Customs Area Controller, Aliyu Alkali, and officers of the Port Harcourt II Area Command for the seizures.

He also advised importers and other stakeholders to confirm the admissibility of their intended imports before commencing transactions and to ensure accurate declarations on the description, quantity, value, origin and classification of goods.

The CG said the seizures were in line with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives, particularly efforts to promote made-in-Nigeria products and protect domestic production.