Uche Cecil Izuora
The Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), under Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, has intensified efforts to curb smuggling of illegal goods.
Along the historically porous Idiroko border corridor, once known for loose controls and thriving informal trade, Afeni’s team has recorded N6.77 billion in seized contraband in just 41 days, a figure that underscores both the scale of smuggling and the sharp uptick in operational intensity. More than the statistics, however, the shift signals a broader institutional reset: from manpower‑heavy, reactive patrols to a technology‑infused, intelligence‑driven border‑management model.
The Command now prioritises intelligence gathering, strategic surveillance, and coordinated crackdowns across multiple high‑risk sectors. This has led to headline‑grabbing interceptions, including 10,126 parcels of cannabis indica weighing 4,627 kilograms and worth over 5 billion naira, as well as 26,000+ parcels of cannabis sativa and indica combined from January to May 2026. Such numbers reinforce concerns that the Idiroko corridor remains a key artery for transnational drug networks, but they also showcase Customs’ growing capacity to track and disrupt them.
Afeni’s offensive has targeted the full spectrum of illicit trade: 1,759 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 14,550 litres of Premium Motor Spirit in jerricans, thousands of kegs of smuggled vegetable oil, expired food products, counterfeit pharmaceuticals, and even six live pangolins, a powerful indicator that the command now views smuggling as a multidimensional threat to public health, the environment, and national security. The seizures reveal a broader understanding that weak border management feeds beyond the economy into organised crime, health risks, and ecological degradation.
Nis leadership also reflects a wider generational shift within the Nigeria Customs Service. Under the modernisation agenda of Comptroller‑General Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Service is increasingly deploying geospatial technology, digital surveillance, and data‑driven operations at key commands like Ogun I.
This transition reduces reliance on manpower‑intensive foot patrols and instead focuses on monitoring smuggling hotspots, anticipating convoy patterns, and coordinating multi‑agency raids. For officers like Afeni, this blend of operational firmness, inter‑agency collaboration, and strategic adaptability is becoming the new normal.
The Command has managed to balance enforcement with trade facilitation.
From mid‑March to mid‑May 2026, the Ogun I Area Command generated 125.43 million naira in revenue from baggage assessments and the auction of seized petroleum products, while facilitating exports valued at over 1.004 billion naira Free on Board. This dual outcome, cutting illegality while supporting legitimate cross‑border commerce, embodies the emerging ideal for modern Customs operations.
For the Nigeria Customs Service, the Idiroko story is more than a case study of one officer’s success. It is a signal that a new generation of technologically savvy, strategically minded leadership is taking root, one better equipped to confront complex border threats, deepen Nigeria’s economic security, and align the Service with global standards in border management.