Our Reporter
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, has intercepted a 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost, valued at N905 million, alongside other exotic vehicles and contraband items, all of which are worth over N1.4 billion.
Other vehicles seized include a 2014 Mercedes-Benz 4Matic worth N21.4 million and a 2018 Honda Accord valued at N32.2 million. The seizures also featured 4,424 bags of foreign parboiled rice—equivalent to over seven truckloads—1,936 parcels of cannabis sativa (marijuana), and 105 used tyres.
Addressing journalists on Thursday at Idiroko, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Godwin Otunla, said the seizures underscore the command’s resolve to combat smuggling and frustrate the activities of what he described as “economic saboteurs”.
“These interceptions are the fall-out of our firm commitment not to relent in combating the menace of smuggling, nor bow to the antics of recalcitrant economic saboteurs who undermine our nation’s economy and security,” Otunla declared.
In addition to its anti-smuggling operations, the command also generated N45.05 million in July 2025, representing a 27.47% increase compared to the N35.3 million collected in July 2024. Otunla attributed the revenue boost to “enhanced compliance drive, improved border monitoring, and robust stakeholder engagement.”
As part of inter-agency collaboration, the illicit drugs were formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The NDLEA Commander of Idiroko Special Command, Ekundayo Williams, received the cannabis parcels for further investigation.
Otunla reiterated that the fight against smuggling is a shared responsibility, stressing that the command will sustain its intelligence-driven operations.
“We remain vigilant, resolute, and unyielding. No matter the sophistication of your tricks, our officers will continue to thwart your antics, and we shall bring the full weight of the law against you,” he warned smugglers and their collaborators.
The Customs boss commended his officers for their resilience and lauded the cooperation of other security agencies, as well as border communities, for providing credible intelligence that aids operations.
The Ogun border region remains one of Nigeria’s busiest smuggling corridors, with contraband rice, used vehicles, cannabis, and petroleum products being the most trafficked items. The latest haul, observers say, underscores both the scale of the problem and the sustained clampdown by the authorities.