By Ayomide Otitoju
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has warned that Apapa Port will not be allowed to become a conduit for security threats following the interception of 13 containers carrying narcotics, codeine syrup, restricted drones, used clothing and expired consumer products valued at ₦43.59 billion.
Adeniyi disclosed this on Thursday, September 10, 2026, while briefing journalists at APM Terminals, Apapa Port, Lagos.
He said the seizures were made through sustained intelligence-led operations, cargo profiling, documentary checks and targeted physical examinations by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
According to him, Customs has also strengthened collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and international security partners to improve enforcement at the nation’s ports.
“The seaport is where several of those pieces meet. 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,” Adeniyi said.
He disclosed that three containers contained 15,245 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 7,624 kilogrammes.
Another container was found to contain 1,700 cartons holding 169,998 bottles of codeine syrup concealed beneath household items.
Customs officers also intercepted 108 high-definition dual-camera drones imported without the required security approvals and end-user certificates.
Adeniyi warned that security-sensitive equipment must meet all documentation requirements before clearance, stressing that the ports would not be allowed to serve as a channel for equipment that could threaten national security.
“Consignments of that character that arrive without them will be detained. The ports would not be allowed to become a route through which security-sensitive capabilities reach those working against the security of the country,” he said.
The Customs chief said three other containers contained 1,282 bales of used clothing, while five were loaded with expired tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets and disposable nappies.
He warned that the importation of expired products intended for consumption or bodily use posed serious health risks, particularly to children and women.
Adeniyi said the seized items would be handed over to relevant agencies for further investigation, while commending Customs officers, the Apapa Area Command, NDLEA, NAFDAC and international partners for their cooperation.
The Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, said the seizures demonstrated the command’s commitment to intelligence-led enforcement and its responsibility to prevent prohibited and harmful goods from entering the country.
Oshoba also stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration in combating illicit drug trafficking and other forms of smuggling, assuring legitimate traders that the command would continue to support lawful trade.
