The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, has intercepted 23,220 pieces of new matchets suspected to be deployed to disrupt the 2027 general election, alongside 5,986 parcels of cannabis sativa and indica weighing 3,407.83 kilogrammes.
The seized items, alongside other prohibited and restricted goods, have a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N6.19 billion.
The Acting Controller of the Unit, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, disclosed this on Tuesday during his maiden press briefing at the unit’s headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.
Afeni said the seizures were recorded within four weeks of intensified enforcement operations, during which the unit intercepted and thwarted 195 smuggling attempts involving prohibited and restricted goods.
He expressed concern over the importation of 23,220 new matchets without the requisite certificates and permits, warning that the items could easily be deployed to undermine the general elections in the coming months.
According to him, election violence is rarely an isolated incident but can be facilitated by smuggling activities, including the illegal movement of potentially dangerous items across the nation’s borders.
He said the interceptions were part of a renewed operational strategy anchored on intelligence-driven enforcement, improved surveillance, risk-based examination and stronger collaboration with relevant government agencies.
“Bringing in 23,220 matchets at this time raise suspicion. The bad guys are always there to cause havoc so we have also developed a very robust synergy with our sister agencies because intelligence that led to the interception came from one of our sister agencies. What we know s that the bad guys always exploit gaps and that is why all agencies of government are closing ranks to ensure that the country is rid off crime and criminality as we approach the 2027 election, ” he said.
Other items seized include imported rice comprising 3,028 bags of 50kg, 995 bags of 25kg, 104 bags of 20kg and 207 bags of 5kg; 173 cartons of imported frozen poultry products; 6,949 cartons of smuggled spaghetti; 459 bales and 39 jumbo sacks of second-hand clothing; and 1,236 used tyres.
The seizures also included 33 used rims, 8,025 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 57 cartons, 37 packs and six pieces of codeine syrup, 20 cartons of couscous, 101 bags of imported sugar, eight bags of powdered milk, 12 bags of grain oat products and 400 grammes of cocaine.
Others were 100 grammes of methamphetamine, eight live pangolins, 1,250 rounds of 12-calibre cartridges, 250 cartons of Lotus sardines without NAFDAC numbers, 21 foreign-used vehicles and 11 means of conveyance.
The unit also intercepted a 40-foot container containing 2,760 pieces of office chairs in Completely Knocked Down (CKD) form.
Afeni described the seizures as more than enforcement statistics, noting that they represented revenue recovered for the government, protection for local industries and lives saved from dangerous and substandard products.
He expressed particular concern over the quantity of cannabis intercepted, citing the 2025 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which identified cannabis as the most widely available and used drug globally.
He warned that increasingly potent cannabis strains, including the variety popularly marketed as Colorado, posed serious threats to young people, families and public health.
On revenue recovery, the Acting Controller disclosed that the unit recovered N683.66 million between September 30, 2026, and November 3, 2026, through strengthened compliance checks, scrutiny of import declarations, correction of under-valuations and issuance of demand notices.
He attributed the operational successes to enhanced risk profiling, targeted examination of questionable declarations, teamwork and collaboration with sister agencies and other stakeholders.
Afeni assured importers, licensed customs agents and members of the trading public that the unit would continue to facilitate legitimate trade while taking firm action against duty evasion, false declarations and activities capable of undermining national security.
He added that the unit had sustained collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Army, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other relevant agencies.
The seized narcotics and suspects were subsequently handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution, just as he added that other prohibited items would be transferred to relevant agencies in line with their statutory responsibilities.
The Customs chief appealed to members of the public and stakeholders to support the fight against smuggling by reporting suspicious activities and promoting lawful trade.
He reaffirmed the unit’s commitment to disrupting criminal networks, protecting government revenue and safeguarding the nation’s economic and security interests through intelligence-led operations.
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