Comptroller Oramalugo Commends Security Synergy, Hands Over Seized Drugs to NDLEA

 Comptroller Oramalugo Commends Security Synergy, Hands Over Seized Drugs to NDLEA

…As Seme Command Intercepts Smuggled Goods Worth Over ₦1.2 Billion

The Customs Area Controller (CAC), in charge of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, Comptroller Ben Oramalugo, has commended the deepening collaboration between security agencies and the strategic use of intelligence in the Nigeria Customs Service’s anti-smuggling operations.

Speaking at a media briefing held on Wednesday, 24 July 2025, at the ECOWAS Joint Border Post, Seme-Krake, Comptroller Oramalugo provided a comprehensive review of the Command’s activities from 14 May to 24 July 2025, covering enforcement, revenue generation, and trade facilitation.

According to him, “Between 1- 19 July 2025 alone, operatives of the command, acting on credible intelligence and coordinated enforcement strategies, intercepted five trucks laden with contraband along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor. The seizures included 2,800 bags of foreign parboiled rice (50kg each) and 250 bales of second-hand clothing. The Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items and the trucks stood at ₦919,500,626.00.”

He further disclosed additional seizures including 898 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, 1,319 bags of rice, 40 bags of sugar, 64 bags of flour, 50 cartons of tomato ketchup, 20 bales of used clothing, four bales of used shoes, and one engine-powered boat.

The total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of all items seized within the period under review stood at ₦1,268,794,474.00.

“These monumental seizures are a testament to the vigilance, resilience, and doggedness of our officers, with support from sister security agencies, particularly the Nigerian military. The Seme Area Command will never be a fertile ground for smugglers”, he warned.

Reiterating the Federal Government’s ban on rice importation through land borders, the CAC emphasised the need to protect local producers. “Nigeria currently leads Africa in rice production with over eight million metric tonnes annually, yet our mills remain underutilised due to illegal imports”, he said.

On revenue generation, the Area Controller disclosed that the Command generated ₦1,593,676,123.26 between May and June 2025 through legitimate trade, noting that all potential leakages have been effectively blocked.

As part of it's trade facilitation mandate, the command also processed 1,837 trucks of made-in-Nigeria exports, totaling 116,723.26 metric tonnes, valued at ₦22.37 billion in Free on Board (FOB) terms, and yielded ₦111.8 million in National Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) fees.

The CAC attributed the command’s success to the commitment of his personnel and the provision of 12 patrol vehicles by the Comptroller-General of Customs and the NCS management.

Comptroller Oramalugo handed over the seized Cannabis Sativa to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), represented by Commander Idrise Muhammed. 

In response, the NDLEA Commander commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its efforts and pledged continued collaboration, adding that suspects connected to the seizures would be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.