Customs intercept N274m smuggled goods in Cross River

The Nigeria Customs Service has intensified its battle against smuggling and illegal importation, intercepting prohibited goods worth more than N273.7m in Cross River State as part of efforts to protect local manufacturers, preserve jobs, and support the Federal Government’s industrialisation agenda.

The latest seizure, which included nearly 2,000 kegs of foreign refined vegetable oil, used tyres, second-hand clothing, and smuggled petrol, comes amid renewed concerns over the impact of illicit imports on domestic industries and investments.

A statement issued by the Customs Area Controller, Cross River/Calabar Free Trade Zone/Akwa Ibom Area Command, Comptroller Giwa Dauda, on Wednesday, said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to safeguard local manufacturers from the adverse effects of smuggling and illegal importation.

According to him, Customs operatives intercepted two 20-foot containers loaded with 1,996 kegs of prohibited foreign refined vegetable oil along the Odukpani-Calabar Highway on June 14, 2026.

Dauda disclosed that the products, with a Duty Paid Value of N195.5m, were concealed in a truck intercepted during a routine patrol operation. He described the seizure as significant, noting that the vegetable oil industry remains one of the sectors where Nigerian investors have committed substantial resources in recent years.

The statement read, “The Nigeria Customs Service has reinforced its commitment to protecting Nigerian manufacturers and preserving jobs by intercepting prohibited imported goods valued at over N273 million in Cross River State.

“The Command remains resolute in enforcing Federal Government trade policies aimed at protecting local industries and encouraging domestic production. During one of our routine patrol operations along the Odukpani-Calabar Highway, officers intercepted a truck carrying two 20-foot containers loaded with 1,996 kegs of foreign refined vegetable oil.

“The products have a Duty Paid Value of N195.5m. These goods are prohibited imports under existing government policy, and their illegal entry into the Nigerian market would have serious consequences for local manufacturers and investors who have committed enormous resources to developing the sector,” he said.

Dauda explained that allowing the unrestricted influx of foreign vegetable oil into the country would undermine government efforts to achieve self-sufficiency, weaken local production capacity, and put thousands of jobs at risk.

He further explained that allowing the import of prohibited foreign products into the domestic market would undermine local production capacity, discourage investment, and threaten thousands of jobs across the agricultural and manufacturing value chains.

He stressed that “These products are listed under the Federal Government’s import prohibition policy, which seeks to stimulate local production, promote self-sufficiency, and strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base.”

Beyond the vegetable oil seizure, the Customs boss revealed that the Command also intercepted 1,500 used tyres and 105 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing.

According to him, the combined value of all the prohibited items seized during the operation stood at N273.7m.

“The seizures did not stop at vegetable oil alone. Our officers also intercepted 1,500 used tyres and 105 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing, all imported in contravention of existing laws and regulations.

“When these seizures are added to other prohibited items intercepted within the period under review, the total Duty Paid Value amounts to N273.7m. This demonstrates the scale of the illegal activities we continue to confront at our borders and within our operational corridors,” Dauda said.

The Area Controller further disclosed that Customs operatives seized 800 litres of Premium Motor Spirit during anti-smuggling operations, bringing the total volume of petrol intercepted by the Command this year to 5,760 litres.

He noted that the seized fuel was disposed of in accordance with approved safety guidelines due to its highly combustible nature. “In addition to the prohibited imports, our officers intercepted 800 litres of Premium Motor Spirit being illegally transported. This brings the total volume of PMS seized by the Command in 2026 to 5,760 litres.

“Given the volatile nature of petroleum products and in line with established safety procedures, the seized PMS was disposed of appropriately to eliminate any risk to lives and property,” he explained.

The Customs Area Controller also warned smugglers and economic saboteurs to desist from illegal importation activities, stressing that such practices weaken local industries, distort market competition, and undermine government efforts to achieve economic diversification through industrialisation.

He argued that smuggling not only deprives government of revenue but also threatens local industries that provide employment opportunities for Nigerians.

The latest seizures come weeks after the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, announced a fresh nationwide offensive against the illicit importation of vegetable oil.

At a high-level operational strategy meeting with key players in the vegetable oil industry, Adeniyi said the service was recalibrating its border enforcement architecture to dismantle smuggling networks threatening domestic agricultural investments.

The Customs boss maintained that protecting local industries was critical to achieving the Federal Government’s economic diversification objectives.

He noted that state revenue protection and the survival of local agribusinesses were closely linked, stressing that the service would deploy intelligence-driven special operations to curb the influx of prohibited vegetable oil into the country.

Oil plantation owners have repeatedly warned that unchecked smuggling of vegetable oil and other prohibited products could discourage investment in local processing facilities, reduce factory utilisation rates, and threaten thousands of jobs across Nigeria’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

The Federal Government has, in recent years, intensified efforts to encourage domestic production through import restrictions, local content policies, and support for industrial development, with authorities insisting that effective border enforcement remains crucial to the success of those initiatives.