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Hoodlums kill 10 truck drivers, injure 20 others, vandalise trucks in seven months on Lagos roads—COMTUA laments

Adeyinka Aroyewun
The Eyewitness Reporter
The President of the Council of Maritime Truck Unions and Association (COMTUA) Mr Adeyinka Aroyewun,  has condemned the wilful vandalisation of his members’ trucks by hoodlums on Lagos road while calling on the state government to intervene in the matter.
Speaking during a virtual interactive session with the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), Aroyewun disclosed that the association had made several appeals to the Lagos State Government, the Nigeria Police Force as well as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), over the menace to no avail, while lamenting the negative impact the destruction has on the business of truck owners.
“We have been crying about this and I have made a lot of submissions on this, we have written over 50 letters appealing to the government to weed the vandals off the road”.
He revealed that while some members of the association were insured, others are not insured.
“We are working on this, educating our members on the importance of insurance. We have also written to the Nigerian Insurance Association of Nigeria to partner with them to be able to be part of the enforcement team and their pubic enlightenment team”.
He said the level of damage on the COMTUA’S trucks has been tremendous.
”As we speak, they still vandalized trucks today. They will still vandalize it tomorrow because the extortion points and points of vandalisation have not been removed by the government.
“We have seen the Lagos State Government and the NPA removing shanties and they claimed they were removing hoodlums and extortion points on the roads.
They concluded this on Sunday and everything has returned this morning. “We cannot estimate what we have lost to vandalism.”
He however claimed that COMUTUA has lost over 10 members who were killed this year. Also, over 20 members have been seriously injured by the hoodlums.
“We  are still pleading with the government to ensure that we get justice.”
He said in the amalgamated unions which formed COMUTUA, there are 11 unions and associations as at it stands. “It used to be seven and four have voluntarily tendered their resignation.
“We have seven other associations that have joined COMUTUA, our national Congress as we do it every year, we take in November,” Aroyewun stated that congestion is still hampering the association’s activities.
“We are reviewing our Memorandum of Understanding from time to time. It’s not about the dissolution of COMUTUA, new members are coming in.
”While some members feel there is no need to remain in the collaboration, some still see reason to remain in the collaboration. To remain in this, we are forming a new alliance with the Lagos State Government.
“COMUTUA is what it was and we are doing everything possible to improve the lives of our people.” he declared.
According to him, membership of COMTUA is guided by the association’s Memorandum of Association. He said any member that breaches the regulation is always sanctioned.
“In 2020, COMTUA expelled the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria
(RTNW) for extortion.
”Before the expulsion, several letters were written to warn them, but they believe they are above the law.
“Therefore, COMTUA did not hesitate to expel them from the association. Others are sanctioned for not obeying traffic rules and regulations”
He said COMTUA assists the government to ensure that there is sanity on the roads.
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Customs

Customs, American Business Council strengthen strategic partnership to advance trade facilitation.

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the American Business Council (ABC) have reinforced their commitment to fostering stronger trade relations and resolving operational challenges affecting businesses through sustained collaboration between the public and private sectors.

This commitment was reaffirmed during a quarterly stakeholder engagement held on  June 16th, 2026 at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja,where both parties deliberated on measures to enhance trade facilitation,strengthen supply chain security, and deepen economic cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.

Addressing participants at the meeting, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, underscored the value of continuous stakeholder engagement, describing it as a critical driver of effective policy implementation and improved service delivery.

He disclosed that the engagement would be institutionalised as a regular feature of the Service’s operational calendar.

“It is our intention to institutionalize this engagement as a permanent feature of the Customs calendar because of the importance we attach to this kind of interaction,” Adeniyi stated.

The CGC also provided updates on several key trade facilitation initiatives being implemented by the Service, including the Advance Ruling System, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme, Post Clearance Audit mechanisms, the B’Odogwu platform,as well as ongoing enhancements in scanning integration and cargo clearance processes designed to improve efficiency, transparency, and compliance.

Representatives of the American Business Council commended the reforms introduced by the Service and acknowledged the positive impact of the ongoing modernisation efforts.

They also advocated for faster resolution mechanisms to address lingering business concerns and further improve the operating environment for investors.

Speaking on behalf of the Council, ABC President, Nneka Enwereji, described the engagement as highly productive and lauded the Customs leadership for its proactive approach to facilitating trade and improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

“This session has been exceptional and clearly reflects your commitment to improving the ease of doing business.

“The Service has set a commendable standard, and there is much that can be learned from these initiatives,” she said.

The meeting further underscored the shared commitment of both organisations to strengthening dialogue, enhancing trade efficiency, and creating a more conducive environment for economic growth and investment

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Customs

Apapa Customs leads intelligence – based operation to intercept 1.8tonnes of Cannabis Sativa, N12.8b worth of expired pharmaceuticals products

Funso OLOJO, Editor
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has led an intelligence- led operation in conjunction with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Monday, 15th June, 2026, to intercept a 40FT container with number CAAU7569127 conveying a large consignment of Cannabis Sativa, commonly known as “Canadian.
According to the Apapa Customs command, the operation led to the recovery of 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance, with each sachet weighing 500 grams, bringing the total weight to approximately 1,819 kilograms (1.81 tonnes).
Preliminary field tests conducted on the substance returned positive results for Cannabis Sativa.
The drugs were cleverly concealed inside a black Toyota Nissan vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, along with several bags and drums loaded inside the container.
The interception highlights the Command’s enhanced capacity to detect and dismantle sophisticated smuggling networks attempting to exploit Nigeria’s maritime entry points.
The examination was carried out in collaboration with key security and regulatory agencies.
In a related development, the Command intercepted 2 x 40FT containers loaded with expired pharmaceutical products illegally imported into the country.
Physical examination revealed that the pharmaceutical products have varied expiry date of 2021, 2022 and 2023 which the importers planned to relabel  and reintroduce into the Nigerian market, posing serious health risks to unsuspecting consumers.
The 1 x 40FT with number PCIU8771576 contained expired pharmaceuticals including Cidoxilin Capsules, Cynamine Vitamin B12 Injection and Becoline B-Complex Injection.
While, 1 x 40FT container with number MRKU4961275 contained various expired medical products such as Oxytocin Injection, Mexclor Eye Drops, Avomex Tablets, Carbamazepine Tablets, Silymarin Tablets, Nystatin Tablets, Hyoscine Butylbromide Tablets.
The seized items have a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N12.8 billion .
The substantial seizure highlights the scale of the attempted economic sabotage and underscores the unwavering commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to protecting national security, public health and the Nigerian economy through intelligence-driven enforcement operations.
Commenting on the seizures, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba warned that “unpatriotic importers and their collaborators who deliberately engage in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals are enemies of Nigeria’s progress.
“We have the intelligence, the technology and the resolve to identify and apprehend them.
“Anyone still contemplating these criminal acts should immediately desist, because the consequences will be swift, decisive and uncompromising.
“Apapa Port will not be used as a conduit for economic sabotage and public health endangerment.”
Comptroller Oshoba further warned that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance.
The CAC reassured all Nigerians of the Command’s commitment to intensifying intelligence-driven operations to protect lives, secure legitimate trade and uphold national security.
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Headlines

Nigerian ports gain global recognition as World Bank ranks Apapa, Tin Can among world’s most improved ports.

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter

Nigeria’s ongoing port modernisation and infrastructure upgrade programme has earned international recognition, with two of the country’s busiest seaports—Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports—listed among the world’s top 20 most improved ports by the World Bank.

The recognition came in the World Bank’s 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), released in June 2026, which highlighted both Lagos ports in its global ranking of ports that recorded the most significant improvements in operational efficiency.


The CPPI provides a consistent, data-driven assessment of port performance worldwide by measuring the time vessels spend in port.

The index enables stakeholders to compare port efficiency across different countries and over time, while identifying areas of progress and operational challenges.

The latest ranking is a major endorsement of the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s port infrastructure and enhance trade facilitation through reforms spearheaded by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

According to the Authority, the achievement further reinforces its contribution to sustaining Nigeria’s trade surplus by providing efficient port services that support growing import and export activities.

Nigeria has recorded consecutive annual trade surpluses since 2024, with the most recent figure standing at N7.54 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Reacting to the development, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Abubakar Dantsoho, attributed the achievement to the Federal Government’s investor-friendly policies and the ongoing port modernisation drive.

“With the investor-friendliness of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu providing the gravitas needed for increased investment to implement our port infrastructure and equipment modernisation drive, coupled with the unflinching support of the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, we have all it takes to advance the fortunes of trade and boost the national economy,” Dantsoho stated.

The World Bank recognition is expected to further strengthen investor confidence in Nigeria’s maritime sector and support ongoing efforts to position the country’s ports as competitive gateways for regional and international trade.

 

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