The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted 3,300 cartridges of explosive materials and other prohibited goods with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N365.16 million during anti-smuggling operations along the Seme border corridor in Badagry, Lagos State.
The Seme Area Controller, Comptroller Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, disclosed this on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during a press briefing at the Seme Border.
Kaila said the explosive materials, along with one suspect, had been handed over to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit of the Nigeria Police Force for safe custody and further investigation.
He described the interception as a significant national security intervention, warning that the materials could potentially be used by criminal elements to facilitate terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.
The command also seized 1,306 sacks of expired and waste noodles, each weighing 50 kilogrammes. According to Kaila, the consignment was falsely declared as food items and was intercepted following intelligence and surveillance. He said intelligence indicated that the products were allegedly intended to be repackaged and relabelled for sale to unsuspecting consumers.
Other seizures included 1,268 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50 kilogrammes, as well as 373 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, 90 packs of Tramaking 250mg, 69 packs of Royal Tapentadol 250mg and 310,000 sticks of Time/Yes cigarettes.
Kaila said the illicit drugs and unregistered pharmaceutical products would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further investigation and necessary action.
The command also impounded a used speedboat, a water bike, a 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser, a 2016 Toyota RAV4 and a 2010 Nissan Versa.
Meanwhile, the Seme Area Command generated N19.84 billion in revenue between January and July 2026, exceeding the N15.94 billion collected throughout 2025 by N3.90 billion.
Kaila attributed the increase to improved compliance, stronger stakeholder engagement, enhanced operational efficiency and intensified enforcement against smuggling.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to facilitating legitimate trade while sustaining intelligence-led operations against smuggling and other cross-border criminal activities.
