Speech by the Area Controller of Customs, Western Marine Command

Speech by the Area Controller of Customs, Western
Marine Command

Date: 24th June, 2025

Location: Western Marine Command, Ibafon-Apapa, Lagos

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, Distinguished Guests, and Members of
the Public,

Good morning, and thank you for joining us today. As the Area Controller
of Customs, Western Marine Command, I am honored to address you on the
recent significant seizures made by our team in the course of our
ongoing efforts to safeguard our borders, protect our economy, and
uphold the rule of law. It is no longer acceptable to treat security
lapses with levity especially now that Nigeria is contending with
multiple Security challenges.

Over the past few weeks, our disciplined and dedicated officers have
conducted a series of targeted operations along our maritime routes.
These operations have resulted in the interception of various shipments
of illegal and smuggled goods, which threaten the economic stability and
social well-being of our nation.

Seizures and Items Confiscated:

Rice: a staple food item, often smuggled to evade import duties and
destabilize local markets – 2,017 Bags.
Cannabis: a dangerous narcotic substance with serious social and health
implications – 481 loaves.
Textiles and clothing: imported illegally to bypass taxes and duties,
undermining legitimate local businesses – 72 bundles.
Sugar: an everyday necessity – 7 Bags

Total seizures include:

2,017 bags of rice
481 loaves of Cannabis Sativa
72 bundles of foreign textile
7 bags of Sugar.
4 locally constructed fibre boats
5 locally constructed wooden boats

These seizures represent a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N352,952,200 (Three
hundred and Fifty two million, Nine hundred and fifty two thousand, two
hundred Naira)

a. Two Thousand, seventeen (2,017) bags of Foreign Parboiled rice with
Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N212,995,200,00 (Two hundred and twelve
Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand, two Hundred Naira).
b. Seven (7) Sacks of 50kg Sugar with DPV of N672,000.00 (Six hundred
and seventy two thousand Naira).
c. Seventy Two rolls of Foreign plain material with DPV of
N71,280,000.00 (Seventy One Million, two hundred and eighty thousand
naira).
d. Four Hundred and Eight One loaves of Cannabis Sativa with DPV of
N50,505,000.00 (Fifty Million, Five hundred and five thousand Naira).
e. Nine Boats with DPV of N17,500,000 (Seventeen Million, Five Hundred
Thousand Naira)

This represents a significant blow to criminal networks involved in
illicit trade and smuggling activities. They also reaffirm our
commitment to protecting our borders and ensuring that lawful trade and
commerce thrive within our economy.

Operational Highlights:

Our success is attributable to the motivation given to us from the
Controller General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, MFR psc+,
enhanced intelligence gathering and improved collaboration with other
security agencies like the Nigerian Navy, NDLEA, Marine Police and the
Immigration Service. We also owe our success to the deployment of more
patrol vessels along the coastlines and inland waterways.

We remain vigilant and proactive, continually updating our strategies to
counter evolving smuggling tactics.

Call to Action:

I want to urge members of the public to remain vigilant and report any
suspicious activities related to smuggling or illegal trade in our
waterways. Our collective efforts are essential in safeguarding our
country’s economic integrity and social order.

Gratitude:

Let me take this opportunity to express my profound appreciation to the
Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, MFR psc+
and his management team who has been instrumental in supporting this
fight against smuggling operations by providing critical resources and
equipment to the Western Marine Command. This support has empowered the
Command to achieve remarkable successes in ensuring that smugglers have
no safe haven on our waterways, thereby creating a secure and thriving
environment for legitimate trade.

We also want to extend our gratitude to our sister agencies National
Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Immigration Service,
Nigeria Marine Police, and especially The Nigerian Navy who in synergy’s
with us in the cause of our activities towards making our operation a
success has been laudable.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, I assure you that the Western Marine Command will not
relent in its fight against smuggling and illegal activities. We are
committed to upholding the laws of our land, protecting our citizens,
and ensuring that justice is served.

Thank you for your attention, and I am now open to any questions you may
have.

COMPT. PN NTADI
Customs Area Controller,
Western Marine Command