Customs

The Afeni Effect: Inside Ogun I Customs’ war on smuggling and battle for Nigeria’s economy

Funso OLOJO, Editor

At Nigeria’s south-western border with the Republic of Benin, the battle against smuggling is no longer merely about intercepting bags of rice, petroleum products or second-hand clothing.

Increasingly, it is a battle over the survival of local industries, food security, public health, legitimate trade, national revenue and, ultimately, Nigeria’s economic security.

At the centre of that battle is the Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Idiroko, where Deputy Comptroller Olukayode Oladapo Afeni, the Acting Customs Area Controller, has presided over an increasingly aggressive enforcement campaign.

The numbers tell part of the story.

Under Afeni, the Command’s seizure diary has expanded from narcotics and prohibited food products to petroleum products, tyres, pharmaceuticals, clothing, sugar, fertiliser and even antiquities and wildlife.

But perhaps more significant than the sheer volume of seizures is the philosophy emerging behind them: make the border hostile to illicit trade while making it more accessible to legitimate commerce.

That approach dovetails with the broader economic direction of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which has consistently presented the Renewed Hope agenda as a programme aimed at strengthening domestic production, protecting investment, improving revenue and securing Nigeria’s economic space.

At Ogun I, those objectives are increasingly being translated into frontline enforcement.

THE AUGUST SCORECARD: ₦3.574 BILLION IN ONE ENFORCEMENT WINDOW

The latest chapter in Afeni’s seizure diary is particularly revealing.
Between June 24 and August 13, 2026, the Ogun I Command intercepted prohibited goods with a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦3,574,435,248.08.

Among the most striking seizures were 6,035 parcels of Ghana Loud/Indica, 2,339 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 70 cartons of basmati rice, 30 bags of foreign sugar, 11,450 litres of Premium Motor Spirit in kegs, another 1,750 litres of PMS in drums and 30 kegs of diesel.

The inventory also included 100 bags of fertiliser, 67 bales of second-hand clothing, 2,674 pieces of new shorts and trousers, 3,760 pieces of new tops, 85 fire extinguishers, 480 cartons of Pure Haven drinks, cosmetics, oats, hair accessories, surgical shoes and 127 new purses.

Yet the cannabis seizure stood out.
The 6,035 parcels of Ghana Loud/Indica were formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Idiroko Special Command, for further investigation and necessary action.

Afeni subsequently disclosed that from January 2026 to the August briefing, the Command had handed over 32,412 parcels of hard drugs and 92 sacks of raw Cannabis Sativa to the NDLEA Idiroko Special Command.

That statistic provides perhaps the clearest indication of the changing character of smuggling through the Ogun border.

It is no longer simply a question of economic contraband. Increasingly, it is a question of economic and national security.

BEFORE AUGUST CAME ₦4.63 BILLION

The August seizure did not emerge in isolation.
Between April 1 and June 23, 2026, the Command recorded 146 seizures with a cumulative DPV of ₦4,628,591,970.16, while generating ₦259,777,346.89 during the same period.

The revenue figure represented a remarkable 238 per cent increase over the ₦76.81 million recorded during the corresponding period of 2025.

That performance is significant because the Ogun I story under Afeni has not been exclusively about seizure.

There has also been an attempt to combine enforcement, revenue generation and trade facilitation.

The second-quarter seizure list was extensive: 2,807 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 9,482 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, 62 sacks of raw marijuana, 16,525 litres of PMS, 475 litres of diesel, 7,642 pieces of footwear, 2,427 pneumatic tyres, 63 sacks of foreign sugar, 73 bales of second-hand clothing, fertiliser, imported flour, frozen products and pharmaceuticals.

The Command also handed over 6,981 parcels of Cannabis Indica/Ghanaian Loud and 62 sacks of raw marijuana to the NDLEA, while illicit pharmaceutical products, including 77 cartons of Analgin injections containing 138,600 tubes, were transferred to NAFDAC.

In other words, Afeni’s seizure diary is also becoming a diary of inter-agency enforcement.

THE ₦1.35 BILLION CHAPTER

Earlier, between February and March, the Command intercepted prohibited goods valued at approximately ₦1.35 billion.
That operation produced another revealing catalogue of commodities moving through the border environment.

They included 2,539 kegs of vegetable oil, 4,325 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 2,547 parcels of Cannabis Sativa and 13,625 litres of PMS.

Four live pangolins and two antique artefacts believed to date from the 19th century were also intercepted.The vegetable oil seizure was particularly significant.

Customs described it as part of efforts to protect domestic producers from unfair competition created by smuggled goods.

That is where the anti-smuggling campaign intersects directly with the Renewed Hope economic argument.

For every prohibited consignment that enters Nigeria outside the legal import regime, there is potentially a local manufacturer, farmer, investor or legitimate trader being placed at a disadvantage.

The Customs position, therefore, is that enforcement is not simply about confiscation. It is about protecting the productive economy.

THE RICE WAR

Foreign rice has perhaps become the most visible symbol of the economic contest at the Ogun border.

Again and again, rice appears in Afeni’s seizure diary.
In the April-June enforcement period alone, 2,807 bags of foreign parboiled rice were intercepted.

In the latest June-August operation, another 2,339 bags, alongside 70 cartons of basmati rice, were seized.

Afeni’s argument has been straightforward: the illegal inflow of foreign rice undermines local farmers, domestic rice mills and agricultural investors.

That position aligns the border enforcement campaign with the Federal Government’s broader food-security objectives.
The logic is compelling.

If government policy encourages Nigerians to invest in agriculture and local food processing while smugglers simultaneously flood the market with cheaper prohibited imports, then the border becomes the first point at which that economic policy must be defended.

In this sense, a bag of seized foreign rice is no longer merely a Customs seizure. It represents a direct intervention in the competition between illegal imports and domestic production.

WHEN SMUGGLERS FIGHT BACK

Afeni’s seizure diary also records an increasingly dangerous side of the border war.
In one June operation, Customs officers intercepted a truck carrying 113 bags of foreign parboiled rice along the Itori-Wasimi-Abeokuta corridor.

According to the Command, the driver ignored the officers’ signal to stop and attempted to ram the patrol vehicle before he was apprehended.

In another operation, 630 bags of foreign rice were intercepted along the Afamin-Igbogila axis.

Earlier enforcement operations had also involved resistance and attacks on Customs personnel.

This suggests that the enforcement environment around the Ogun border cannot be treated as an ordinary regulatory exercise.
The stakes are evidently high enough for some operators to risk confrontation with armed government personnel.

That makes the Command’s emphasis on intelligence, technology and collaboration with sister agencies particularly important.

FROM PATROLS TO INTELLIGENCE

Perhaps the most important change in the Afeni approach is the apparent movement away from purely reactive patrols towards intelligence-led enforcement.

The August operation, according to Customs, was strengthened by intelligence gathering, technology and collaboration with sister security agencies.

That is significant because border smugglers are themselves adapting.

Their methods increasingly involve concealment, multiple routes, small consignments, night movements, abandoned structures, bush paths and waterways.

The Customs response, therefore, has had to become more sophisticated.

The objective is no longer simply to wait for contraband to appear at a checkpoint. It is to identify the networks, understand the routes and intercept consignments before they reach the Nigerian market.

That represents a fundamentally different model of border enforcement.

BUT THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE TO THE STORY

Interestingly, while the seizure diary has expanded, so has the Command’s legitimate trade profile.

Between April and June, Ogun I facilitated 20,972 metric tonnes of exports with a Free-On-Board value of ₦1.049 billion — a dramatic improvement over the corresponding period of 2025, when no export activity was recorded.

By the August briefing, the Command reported 10,110 metric tonnes of exports, valued at ₦2.594 billion FOB, with white talc, crushed thermal coal and CNG identified among the major export commodities.

That development deserves attention.
A successful border command cannot simply become a wall. It must become a filter.
The illegal must be stopped; the legitimate must be facilitated.

So far, the figures suggest that Ogun I is attempting to pursue both sides of that equation.

THE AFENI EQUATION

The emerging Afeni equation can be reduced to four words:
Enforcement. Revenue. Security. Trade.

The enforcement figures are substantial.
The revenue numbers show improvement.
The volume of narcotics handed over to the NDLEA demonstrates the security dimension.

And the rising export statistics point towards the trade-facilitation component.

The interconnectedness of the four is clear.
A secure border encourages legitimate commerce.

Legitimate commerce generates revenue.
Revenue strengthens government capacity.
And strong enforcement protects legitimate operators from unfair competition.

This is the economic-security argument behind the Ogun I experience.

A COMMAND UNDER PRESSURE

Yet the Afeni record should not be romanticised. It should be understood for what it is.

The persistence of large-scale seizures itself demonstrates that the smuggling economy remains alive.

Every seizure is evidence of successful enforcement, but it is also evidence that somebody remains willing to attempt the illegal movement of the goods.

The continued appearance of rice, petroleum products, narcotics, clothing and other prohibited commodities means that the underlying economic incentives driving smuggling have not disappeared.

Perhaps this is where the larger policy question arises:
Can enforcement alone permanently defeat smuggling?
Probably not.

Border communities need legitimate economic alternatives. Traders need predictable procedures. Exporters need efficient processing. Security agencies need sustained inter-agency cooperation.

And the Customs Service must continue to ensure that legitimate trade is not inadvertently caught in an enforcement net designed for criminal networks.

Afeni’s challenge, therefore, is bigger than producing impressive seizure statistics.
It is to help transform Idiroko from a border corridor defined by illicit commerce into a gateway for legitimate Nigerian production and exports.

THE RENEWED HOPE TEST

The real test of the Renewed Hope agenda at the border is not how many bags of rice Customs can seize.

It is whether those seizures ultimately contribute to a market environment in which Nigerian farmers can produce competitively, local manufacturers can survive, legitimate traders can operate profitably, government can collect its lawful revenue and criminal networks can no longer exploit the border as an economic highway.

By that measure, Afeni’s diary offers an interesting case study.

From the ₦1.35 billion seizure chapter of February-March, to the ₦4.63 billion recorded between April and June, and then the ₦3.574 billion seizure window stretching from June 24 to August 13, the operational tempo has remained high.

And behind those numbers is an increasingly diversified enforcement portfolio: drugs, rice, petroleum products, vegetable oil, tyres, pharmaceuticals, clothing, sugar, fertiliser, wildlife and antiquities.

More importantly, the Command has coupled seizures with drug handovers, inter-agency operations, revenue collection and legitimate export facilitation.

That may ultimately prove more significant than any single seizure.

THE DIARY CONTINUES

As August 2026 closes, one conclusion appears difficult to dispute:
The Ogun I border is no longer being treated merely as a Customs collection point. It is increasingly being managed as an economic-security theatre.

For smugglers, the apparent message from Idiroko is unmistakable: the routes are being watched, the networks are being pursued and the cargoes are increasingly vulnerable to interception.

For legitimate businesses, however, there is another message: the border is expected to become a safer and more predictable channel for lawful commerce.

And for the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope agenda, that distinction is critical.
Because the ultimate measure of success is not the size of the seizure warehouse.

It is the size of the legitimate economy that emerges when the smuggling economy is squeezed out.
For now, Afeni’s seizure diary is still being written.
And at Idiroko, the pages are filling up fast.

Customs

MACI hails Customs’ anti-corruption framework, demands full implementation

Funso OLOJO, Editor

The Media Anti-Corruption Initiative (MACI) has applauded the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, for introducing a comprehensive anti-corruption framework aimed at identifying institutional vulnerabilities, strengthening internal controls and promoting integrity across the operations of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

The initiative, which MACI described as a significant milestone in the fight against corruption within the Service, is anchored on three key documents signed by the Customs chief: the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Internal Corruption Risk Analysis and Mapping (ICRAM), the ICRAM Handbook and the Integrity Action Plan (IAP).

In a statement jointly signed by MACI President, Funso Olojo, and Project Coordinator, Lod Onyeji, the organisation described the development as a “pivotal moment in the fight against corruption within the Nigeria Customs Service.”

Mr Olojo, who commended the initiative of the Customs, noted that the stance of the agency on corruption is in alignment with the aims and objectives of MACI which is an advocate for corruption- free society.

The signing ceremony, held on October 6th, 2026, at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja, also witnessed the inauguration of the ICRAM Steering Committee, which is responsible for identifying, assessing and mapping corruption risks across the Service’s operations.

According to the statement, the framework represents a proactive institutional approach to tackling corruption by identifying vulnerabilities in Customs processes and establishing measures to prevent abuse of office, improve accountability and strengthen public confidence in the Service.

The Comptroller-General, Adeniyi, disclosed that the framework was developed in collaboration with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and partner administrations, including His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of the United Kingdom.

He explained that the documents provide practical guidance for Customs officers operating at seaports, land borders and airports, equipping them with procedures and controls designed to promote integrity, transparency and accountability in the discharge of their responsibilities.

MACI noted that the introduction of the framework followed a pilot programme conducted across seven Customs Commands and Units, covering 66 processes spanning regulatory activities, core Customs operations and support functions.

The exercise culminated in the development of a comprehensive Integrity Action Plan containing 101 action items and 295 sub-actions designed to address identified corruption risks and strengthen institutional safeguards.

Key measures outlined in the plan include increased automation and improved audit trails, stronger supervisory mechanisms, clearer accountability structures, effective segregation of duties, regular staff rotations and targeted training programmes.

The framework also seeks to strengthen controls governing interactions between Customs officers and stakeholders, an area considered critical to reducing opportunities for corrupt practices and improving compliance with established procedures.

MACI commended the Customs leadership for adopting a risk-based approach to corruption prevention, noting that identifying and addressing institutional weaknesses before they are exploited is essential to building a transparent and accountable public institution.

The organisation, however, stressed that the effectiveness of the initiative would ultimately depend on the consistent implementation of the prescribed measures across all commands and operational units of the Service.

It therefore urged Customs management, officers, stakeholders and relevant partner institutions to support the full implementation of the framework to ensure that the initiative delivers measurable improvements in institutional integrity.

MACI expressed confidence that effective implementation of the ICRAM framework and Integrity Action Plan would strengthen internal controls, reduce corruption risks, promote ethical conduct and enhance public trust in the Nigeria Customs Service.

The organisation emphasised that the new framework should not merely remain a collection of policy documents but should translate into tangible changes in operational practices, staff conduct and the overall culture of accountability within the Service.

Customs

FOU Zone ‘A’: Aliyu retires after ₦3.19bn revenue recovery, Afeni takes over

Gloria Odion, Maritme reporter
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‎The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja-Lagos, on Wednesday, 30th September 2026, welcomed Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Olukayode Afeni as the unit’s 30th Acting Comptroller, following the retirement of Comptroller Gambo Aliyu after a distinguished career in the Service.
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‎The formal handing-over ceremony, held at the unit’s conference hall, was attended by colleagues, friends, well-wishers, senior Customs officers and other stakeholders.
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‎ Among those present were the Acting Customs Area Controllers of the Port and Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML), Ogun 1 Area Command, and the Enugu/Ebonyi/Anambra Area Command.
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‎Addressing officers and stakeholders for the first time as Acting Comptroller, DC Afeni pledged to provide purposeful, professional and accountable leadership in advancing the mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service.
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‎He expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the management of the Service for the confidence reposed in him.
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‎The new Acting Comptroller said his administration would strengthen intelligence- led enforcement,tackle revenue leakages and safeguard Nigeria’s economic and security interests.
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‎He said that enforcement operations under his leadership would remain firm, lawful and respectful of human dignity, while legitimate trade would be facilitated through constructive engagement with traders, manufacturers, importers, exporters, customs brokers and other stakeholders.
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‎DC Afeni also called for stronger collaboration with sister security and law enforcement agencies to combat trans -border crimes, particularly the illicit movement of drugs, arms, currencies, counterfeit goods and other prohibited items across the Nigeria border.
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‎He also pledged to prioritise officers’ welfare and professional development, strengthen institutional discipline and encourage regular sporting activities to promote physical fitness, teamwork and work-life balance among personnel.

‎In his handing-over address, the immediate past Comptroller, retired Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, expressed gratitude to God and the Service, describing the ceremony as an important transition in leadership and an opportunity to reflect on the responsibilities and challenges of commanding the unit.
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‎Comptroller Aliyu said his administration persevered on combating smuggling, revenue fraud, concealment, under-declaration, false declaration and the illicit movement of prohibited goods.
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‎The report,according to him includes, recorded 779 seizures during his tenure, involving various prohibited and illegally imported items, including:
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‎- More than 20,900 bags of foreign parboiled rice;
‎- 61 used vehicles;
‎- Thousands of used compressors and clothing items;
‎- Foreign poultry products;
‎- 4,418 jerrycans of vegetable oil;
‎- 12,606 parcels of cannabis weighing 6,194.3kg;
‎- 2.30kg of cocaine;
‎- More than 3,000 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), equivalent to 76,505 litres; and
‎- 22 elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg.
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‎According to him, the seizures had a combined duty-paid value of ₦13,075,056,616.00.

‎On revenue recovery, Comptroller Aliyu disclosed that the unit recovered ₦3,192,511,547.52 between 10 December 2025 and 24 September 2026.
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‎He said the figure represented 798 per cent of the unit’s ₦400 million annual revenue recovery target for 2026, while also recording a 776 per cent increase over the ₦411,451,901.18 recovered during the corresponding period in 2025.
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‎Aliyu attributed the performance to strengthen risk profiling, stricter compliance checks, targeted examination of suspicious declarations, teamwork,and collaboration with sister agencies and stakeholders.
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‎He stressed that effective enforcement required collective efforts, noting that “no enforcement agency can succeed in isolation.”
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‎Concluding his address, the retired Comptroller congratulated his successor and expressed confidence that the new administration would build on the operational foundation already established.
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‎He urged DC Afeni to lead with fairness, firmness, courage and sound judgment, while assuring him of the cooperation and support necessary to sustain the unit’s mandate.
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‎Comptroller Aliyu also commended officers of the unit for their loyalty, discipline and resilience throughout his tenure.
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‎He prayed for the success of the new leadership, the continued growth of the Nigeria Customs Service and the security and prosperity of Nigeria.

Customs

Mu’azu steps in as 33rd CAC at Apapa port as Oshoba bows out

— Vows to sustain ₦323bn monthly revenue record, end cargo delays

Funso OLOJO, Editor

Comptroller Murtala Mu’azu has assumed duty as the 33rd Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Apapa Area Command, pledging to sustain the Command’s revenue momentum while eliminating avoidable delays in cargo clearance and strengthening trade facilitation at Nigeria’s busiest port.

Mu’azu formally took over from Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba (rd) on Tuesday, September 29th, 2026, at a ceremony held at the Auditorium of the Apapa Area Command, Lagos, attended by senior security and regulatory officials, government agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, customs brokers, importers, exporters and other port stakeholders.

The new Controller inherits a Command that recently posted some of the most impressive revenue figures in its history, including a record ₦323 billion monthly collection in July 2026 and a single-day collection of ₦28.102 billion on August 18, 2026.

Acknowledging the weight of the responsibility before him, Mu’azu described his appointment as “a great honour and privilege,” thanking the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for the confidence reposed in him.

He pledged to discharge the responsibility with “a deep sense of duty” and in line with the economic interests of the country, promising to build on the Command’s achievements in revenue generation, enforcement, trade facilitation and institutional discipline.

The new CAC said his administration would be anchored on the three strategic pillars of the Comptroller-General — consolidation, collaboration and innovation — with particular attention to revenue integrity, efficient trade facilitation, professionalism and meaningful engagement with stakeholders.

On revenue collection, Mu’azu was unequivocal, declaring that every revenue due to government must be properly assessed and collected.

“Every revenue due to government must be properly assessed and collected, and every decision taken by our officers must be capable of standing the test of scrutiny over time,” he said.

But beyond revenue, the new Controller signalled that reducing bottlenecks in cargo clearance would be a major priority of his administration.

He declared that avoidable human delays in cargo processing, which he described as “Non-Tariff Barriers”, would no longer be tolerated.

“Unnecessary human delays in cargo processing otherwise known as Non-Tariff Barriers shall not be tolerated henceforth,” Mu’azu said.

According to him, once all statutory requirements have been met, legitimate cargo should be allowed to move without unnecessary obstruction.

He consequently charged Customs officers to maintain discipline, professionalism, courtesy and decorum in their dealings with importers, exporters, customs brokers and other members of the trading public.

Mu’azu also promised to deepen collaboration with importers, exporters, licensed customs agents, shipping companies, terminal operators, the Nigerian Ports Authority and other government agencies operating within the port environment.

He said such collaboration was essential to making Apapa Port more efficient, predictable and responsive to legitimate trade.

The new CAC openly acknowledged the scale of the revenue challenge left by his predecessor, Oshoba, particularly the unprecedented figures recorded under the outgoing Controller.

“This is indeed a record to reckon with and strive towards matching same. It is therefore a Herculean task upon myself and my team to match and surpass such a record,” Mu’azu said.

He also commended Oshoba for his contributions to enforcement, trade facilitation and the implementation of key modernisation initiatives of the Nigeria Customs Service.

Among the initiatives highlighted were B’Odogwu, Advance Ruling, the Authorised Economic Operator Programme, the One-Stop Shop and Non-Intrusive Inspection technology.

The Advance Ruling programme, in particular, has been positioned as a mechanism for providing greater predictability to legitimate traders by enabling them to obtain clarity on Customs treatment before importation.

Oshoba had, in his farewell address, described Advance Ruling as an initiative that provides legitimate traders with greater predictability and clarity on Customs treatment before importation, thereby reducing uncertainty and strengthening confidence in the trading environment.

In his farewell remarks, Oshoba attributed the achievements recorded during his tenure to the collective efforts of officers, stakeholders and partners of the Command.

“The achievements recorded during my tenure do not belong to one individual. They belong to all of us,” he said.

He charged officers to sustain the standards established during his tenure, stressing that discipline, professionalism and excellence must remain central to the Command’s operations.

“Discipline must remain our foundation, professionalism our standard and excellence our aspiration,” Oshoba said.

He also appealed to officers and stakeholders to extend the same cooperation and support to his successor.

Mu’azu, in turn, called for collective ownership of the Command’s mandate, stressing that the responsibility for sustaining Apapa’s performance could not rest on the CAC alone.

“The success we seek cannot be achieved by the CAC alone. It requires our collective efforts, operational integrity and willingness to uphold the standards of the Service,” he said.

He assured stakeholders that his administration would operate an open and constructive engagement framework based on fairness, mutual respect and the national interest.

With the transition now completed, the new Apapa Customs administration faces the dual task of protecting the Command’s record-breaking revenue performance while making cargo clearance faster, more predictable and less burdened by avoidable administrative delays.

Mu’azu expressed confidence that, with the support of officers and stakeholders, Apapa Area Command would continue to serve as a model of efficient revenue administration, legitimate trade facilitation and professional Customs conduct.