Kwara Customs Seizes Tramadol, Smuggled Goods Worth N604m

The Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the seizure of 3,396 packets of Tramadol and other smuggled goods with a combined duty-paid value of N604.33 million.

Other items seized by the command include 270 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 6,705 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 6,875 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), used clothing and two high-value vehicles.

According to a report by The Nation, the Acting Area Controller of the Kwara Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Najeem Akanmu Ogundeyi, disclosed the seizures while briefing reporters in Ilorin.

Ogundeyi said the goods were intercepted at various locations across the state, stressing that the command would not allow Kwara to become a safe haven or transit route for smuggling activities.

Beyond its enforcement operations, the command generated N7.97 billion in revenue between January and August 2026.

Ogundeyi said the revenue figure reflected the command’s commitment to maximising government revenue while balancing enforcement with the facilitation of legitimate trade.

He said the command’s operations were driven by actionable intelligence, sustained patrols and collaboration with other security agencies.

Read Also: Customs Seizes 204 Pump-Action Rifles Hidden In Household Goods

He said the command would never become a safe haven or transit corridor for illicit cross-border trade. That stance remains uncompromising.

He said the illegal influx of foreign food products through porous borders could undermine the government’s efforts to promote local agricultural production, protect domestic investments and strengthen the country’s value chain.

“Illegal influx of foreign food products through porous borders undermines Federal Government policies aimed at boosting local agricultural production, protecting domestic investments and safeguarding our local value chain,” he said.

“Among the seizures were 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 intercepted along the Bukuro-Okuta-Chikanda axis, valued at N2.75 million; and 3,396 packets of 100mg Tramadol intercepted along the Okuta axis, with a DPV of N50.946 million.

Customs also intercepted 14 bags of Basmati rice along the Bode-Saadu Expressway, valued at N350,000; 6,705 cartons of foreign spaghetti along the Bode-Saadu axis, with a DPV of N201.15 million; and 270 bags of foreign parboiled rice, valued at N25.245 million.”

The command also seized a 2025 Toyota Highlander intercepted on the Bode-Saadu Expressway, with a DPV of N214 million, and a 2018 Dodge Charger SXT intercepted on the Lagos-Kwara highway at Eyenkorin, valued at N77.59 million.

He described the seizures as evidence of smugglers’ evolving tactics, noting that criminal elements were increasingly diversifying their activities to include the movement of petroleum products, controlled pharmaceuticals, foreign food items and uncustomed vehicles.

He also explained that the seizure of 6,875 litres of PMS was intended to prevent the diversion of petroleum products meant for domestic consumption into illicit border markets.

He attributed the command’s operational successes to intelligence-led enforcement, commending personnel of the Intelligence Unit and Customs Police Unit, as well as other officers operating across the command’s challenging terrain.

He also acknowledged support from sister security agencies, stressing that effective collaboration is essential to combating trans-border crimes.

“Trans-border crime cannot be fought in isolation; inter-agency cooperation remains central to our tactical execution,” he said.

He appealed to border communities, traditional rulers, transporters and other stakeholders to regard border security as a collective responsibility by providing credible and timely information on suspicious activities.

“Legitimate trade will receive our maximum support, but smuggling will encounter uncompromising enforcement,” Ogundeyi said.