From Joseph Asegba, Yola
The Nigeria Customs Service has called for stronger collaboration with community leaders to curb smuggling along the borders of Adamawa and Taraba states, following the interception of goods with a combined value of about ₦79.86m.
The Area Comptroller of the NCS Adamawa/Taraba States Command, Mohammed A. Kato, made the appeal during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Yola, Adamawa State, where he detailed seizures recorded during a series of anti-smuggling operations.
Kato said the operations targeted illegal trade along key routes and were conducted through intelligence gathering and sustained surveillance, in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act and applicable trade regulations.
According to the command, the seized items included 673 jerry cans or containers of Premium Motor Spirit, totalling 16,802 litres; 501 cartons of various soaps; 266 bags of 50kg rice; 11 bales and five jumbo sacks of second-hand clothing; and a vehicle allegedly used to convey smuggled goods.
The command put the total duty-paid and cost, insurance and freight value of the seized goods at approximately ₦79,857,500.
Among the operations highlighted was a raid along the River Benue bank in the Ribadu axis on August 16, 2026, when officers reportedly discovered 451 cartons of foreign bar soap stockpiled along the shoreline and in nearby bushes.
The command said the suspects abandoned the goods and fled when confronted by the officers.
In another operation in the early hours of August 20, officers reportedly found 374 jerry cans, each with a capacity of 25 litres, containing petroleum products abandoned along a bush path near a river and border area.
The command also reported a separate discovery of 374 jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit along a bush path in Sahuda, near the Nigeria-Cameroon border. However, the statement did not clarify whether this was the same incident or a separate operation from the earlier August 20 discovery.
On September 14, 2026, at about 8pm, officers intercepted a vehicle with registration number XB 566 GML along the Wuro Alhaji–Maiha axis following what the command described as credible intelligence.
The vehicle was reportedly carrying 116 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg, and 50 cartons of foreign soap.
Another operation on September 21 led to the discovery of 299 jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit along the Belel–Goshidan axis. The command said the petroleum products were intended to be smuggled out of the country.
On October 2, at about 6am, officers acting on intelligence reportedly seized 150 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg, 50 bags of local maize, 11 bales and five jumbo sacks of second-hand clothing along a bush path on the Maiha–Mubi axis.
The command said the goods had been gathered for onward smuggling.
Kato reaffirmed the service’s commitment to disrupting illegal trade while facilitating legitimate commerce and enforcing national laws and applicable international trade standards.
He thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs and the service’s leadership for providing operational support, while commending officers for their conduct and effectiveness during the operations.
The comptroller also urged residents to regard security as a shared responsibility by providing timely and credible information to the relevant authorities.
He acknowledged the media’s role in raising awareness about the economic consequences of smuggling and called for continued cooperation in efforts to tackle the practice.
The command said the seizures were made under the Nigeria Customs Service Act and relevant provisions governing prohibited goods, seizure powers and the Common External Tariff prohibition list.
