KEY POINTS
- The Nigeria Customs Service’s Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command seized contraband with a duty paid value of ₦722 million.
- Items recovered included second-hand clothing, women’s bags, cigarettes, unregistered pharmaceutical products and other drugs.
- The command said suspects abandoned the truck used to convey the goods after discovering they were being trailed by operatives.
- Customs urged Nigerians to provide intelligence to support anti-smuggling operations and protect public health and the economy.
MAIN STORY
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command, has seized contraband with a duty paid value of ₦722 million in Sokoto, including second-hand clothing, cigarettes and unregistered pharmaceutical products.
The Acting Area Comptroller, Halliru Isa-Abdullahi, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday, listing the seized items as 59 bales of second-hand clothes, seven sacks of second-hand women’s bags, 43 cartons of cigarettes and seven cartons of coffee.
Other items included unregistered pharmaceutical products, 100 packages of quinine, 500 packages of amodiaquine, 140 packages of paracetamol and 300 packages of anti-cold medication. The command also recovered a carton of analgesic injections, four cartons of Dynewell syrup and tablets, and one carton of Clear Cold.
Isa-Abdullahi said the operation aligned with the directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, which emphasises consolidation, collaboration and innovation in anti-smuggling operations to secure Nigeria’s borders and protect the economy.
According to the acting comptroller, the suspects abandoned the vehicle after discovering that customs operatives were trailing them. Repairs were subsequently carried out on the truck before it was conveyed to Sokoto.
He said the operation resulted in the seizure of a used DAF truck allegedly used to transport the contraband into the country.
“Operatives of the command ensured blocking and suppression of smuggling, which have successfully led to the seizure of a used DAF truck as a means of conveyance of the contraband items into the country,” Isa-Abdullahi said.
He added that the command’s anti-smuggling operations had continued to yield results despite insecurity in parts of Sokoto and Zamfara states.
The acting comptroller urged Nigerians to provide credible information to the NCS to help curb smuggling, warning that unregistered drugs entering the country could pose serious health risks to consumers.
He also said tackling smuggling would support economic activity and help the Federal Government generate resources for the provision of social amenities.
Isa-Abdullahi warned smugglers and their collaborators to abandon the practice, saying customs operatives would continue to intensify efforts to intercept illegal consignments.
THE ISSUES
The seizure highlights concerns about the movement of unregistered pharmaceutical products and other prohibited goods across Nigeria’s borders. Medicines that have not undergone the required registration and regulatory checks may pose risks to consumers, while cigarette and other contraband trafficking can undermine lawful trade and government revenue.
The reported ₦722 million duty paid value represents the customs assessment of the seized goods, rather than necessarily the amount of revenue lost or recovered by the government.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“Operatives of the command ensured blocking and suppression of smuggling, which have successfully led to the seizure of a used DAF truck as a means of conveyance of the contraband items into the country.” – Halliru Isa-Abdullahi, Acting Area Comptroller, Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command
WHAT’S NEXT
The command says it will sustain anti-smuggling operations and is calling on members of the public to provide intelligence that could help identify and intercept illegal consignments.
BOTTOM LINE
The NCS Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command has reported a seizure of contraband valued at ₦722 million, including unregistered medicines and other goods. The operation underscores the role of border enforcement in curbing illegal trade, protecting consumers and supporting lawful economic activity.
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