Abuja: The National Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), DCC Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed at a Joint Security News Briefing in Abuja that the NCS generated a total revenue of N1.38 trillion and seized smuggled goods valued at N61.3 billion over the past two months.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Maiwada revealed that the revenue was accumulated through N784.66 billion generated in July and N595.58 billion collected in August. The Apapa Area Command notably contributed to this figure by setting a new monthly revenue record of N323 billion in July and achieving a single-day revenue milestone of N28.1 billion on August 18, surpassing the previous record of N20.1 billion set in September 2025.
Maiwada detailed that the Customs processed 90,985 Single Goods Declarations and 8,873 Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports during this period. The NCS also maintained its crackdown on smuggling, arms trafficking, narcotics, money laundering, terrorism financing, and wildlife trafficking, resulting in enforcement operations by Area Commands and Federal Operations Units that led to significant seizures valued at over N61.3 billion.
A significant operation occurred on August 17, when Customs intercepted 399 Jojef pump-action rifles and 535 firearm components at Tin Can Island Port. These firearms were handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) for further action, with two suspects connected to the arms consignment currently under investigation.
Maiwada highlighted the Service’s expanding role in preventing the movement of illicit arms and other commodities that pose security threats through Nigeria’s ports and borders. Additionally, Customs intercepted 3,300 cartridges of explosives at the Seme border, which were handed over to the Nigeria Police Force.
The Kano/Jigawa Command also intercepted foreign currencies, including 827,800 Saudi Riyals, 73,300 dollars, and 15,957 pounds, allegedly hidden in footwear. These currencies and a suspect were transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for further investigation.
Additional seizures over the two months included goods valued at N3.24 billion in Zone A, recovery of N728.98 million in lost revenue, and confiscation of 1,439.9 kilogrammes of synthetic cannabis. Other seizures involved controlled tablets, rice, sugar, cannabis, expired noodles, and 310,000 sticks of cigarettes. The Apapa Command handed over nine containers of narcotics and unregistered pharmaceuticals valued at N53.39 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
In wildlife protection efforts, Customs rescued two lion cubs at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and a baby gorilla in Kano. Four suspects linked to wildlife trafficking networks were arrested, and recovered wildlife products included 220 kg of pangolin scales and 74 kg of ivory.
Maiwada assured that the Service would continue to employ technology, intelligence sharing, risk-management systems, and inter-agency collaboration to secure Nigeria’s borders. He emphasized that Customs is committed to facilitating legitimate trade while disrupting illicit commerce and criminal networks threatening national security and economic stability.