Expired tomato, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets, disposable nappies, among killers items seized by Customs at Apapa port
Expired tomato, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets, disposable nappies, among killers items seized by Customs at Apapa port
…drones, illicit drugs among seizures worth N43.6bn
Five containers fully loaded with
expired tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets and disposable nappies; products applied to the body and consumed by households daily, were among the list of 13 containers of killers items seized by Customs at Apapa Port.
No consideration of the fact that importation of these expired products places children, women, and other consumers at high risk of harm, as they have no means of detecting at the. point of purchase.
Also, 108 units of high-definition dual-camera drones, illicit drugs, and unregistered pharmaceuticals were among the seizures with monetary value of N43,588,618,859, approximately N43.6billion, uncovered through the eagle-eyed of Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba and his team at Apapa premier Port.
The items were officially unveiled by the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, PhD, who disclosed that those killer products, and other prohibited items were illegally brought in by the same syndicates, but the only difference was their methods of concealment, in carrying out their nefarious acts to the detriment of unsuspecting users.
But what these economic saboteurs have not known is that, as they master the act of bringing in merchandise of death into the country illegally, Customs officers at the seaports are several steps ahead of them, using superior intelligence to defeat them, thwart their plans, thereby making them to suffer huge financial losses.
Speaking at the press conference in Lagos, yesterday, Thursday, 10 September, 2026, while unveiling the seizures, CGC Adeniyi, revealed,
“the seaport is where Narcotics, controlled pharmaceuticals, restricted equipment and unsafe goods arrive in the same containers, through the same agents, under the same false declarations, and they are frequently handled by the same syndicates. What has changed in recent years is the method. Concealment is now built into otherwise legitimate consignments.
Narcotics are packed among vehicle spare parts and used vehicles. Controlled drugs travel beneath household goods. Restricted equipment is declared as ordinary
electronics. A container of that kind will pass an untargeted inspection without difficulty, not as a targeted one.
“We have strengthened cargo profiling and risk assessment across the commands, deployed the B’Odogwu platform to bring trade data into that assessment, and in July, established an INTERPOL Data Centre at our Headquarters in Abuja, the 8th on the African continent, giving officers access to more than 152 international databases.
“Alongside this, we have deepened operational cooperation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NAFDAC, Office of the National Security Adviser, and our international security partners.”
He added, “The cannabis interceptions are product of inter-agency work with NDLEA, supported by credible intelligence from international security partners. That intelligence was analysed and acted upon here, through cargo profiling, documentary scrutiny and targeted examination by officers of this Service. I thank NDLEA and our international partners for their cooperation.”
The CGC disclosed, “We also extracted 108 units of high-definition dual-camera drones from an intercepted container. Drones have lawful uses, and this Service has no quarrel with
them. Restricted and security
sensitive equipment requires appropriate security approvals, end-user certificates and documentation before clearance. Consignments of that character that arrive without them will be detained.
“Our ports will not be a route through which capability reaches those who are working against the security of this country.
He continued, “the seized items will be handed over to relevant narcotics agencies for further action and closure, at the same time, the public has been encouraged to go on with
their legitimate activities and be rest assured that Customs will continue to ensure continued and quick movement of legitimate trade. Scrutiny will fall on the
consignments, transactions and operators that present identifiable risk. To those engaged in false declaration, concealment, undervaluation or the importation of
prohibited goods, the position is straightforward: no port, border station or logistics channel will be permitted to serve as a safe haven.
:Compliance is available, and it is cheaper than the alternative. Importers uncertain of the treatment of a product should use the Advance Ruling mechanism to obtain the Service’s position on classification, valuation and origin before shipment,
not after arrival. Operators with a sustained record of compliance should join the Authorised Economic Operator programme, which offers more predictable clearance
and fewer interventions where the risk assessment justifies it.”
The Customs Chief emphasised
“Compliance is not an obstacle to business; it is an advantage over competitors who lack it. Let me also commend the officers and men of Apapa Area Command for the
vigilance and professionalism that produced these results, and I thank the NDLEA, NAFDAC and our international partners for their cooperation.
“Our ports must serve lawful commerce, industrial growth and the prosperity of this country. They must not serve as transit points for narcotics, for controlled drugs, for equipment that threatens our security, or for goods that endanger the health of Nigerians. The Service will
continue to hold that line, and we ask the public and the trading community to hold it with us.”
Other seizures showcased included
foreign rice; assorted automobile spare parts; two boxes of lithium batteries; one carton of PV combiner box; 19 cartons of turmeric; 33 cartons of mangala fish; used clothing; 11 cartons of butterfly fish, and 40ft container with 1,700 cartons containing 169,998 bottles of
codeine syrup, concealed under household items, among others.
