Comptroller Gambo Aliyu Intensifies Measures Against Smugglers At FOU Zone ‘A’
By Asuquo Nuwak
Comptroller Gambo Aliyu Intensifies Measures Against Smugglers At FOU Zone ‘A’
••• Successfully took out 3,340 parcels of synthetic strains of cannabis indica, Ghanaian loud, weighing 1540kg from the society.
The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ of Nigeria Customs Service, Ikeja, Lagos, under the leadership of Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, prevented 473 smuggling attempts through advanced surveillance, intelligence sharing frameworks, and inter-agency collaboration within eight weeks of operations resulting in the seizures of 8,794 bags of 50kg of rice each equivalent to 15 trailer loads, 22 units of used tokunbo vehicle,1,863 pieces of used refrigerator compressors, 328 bales of used clothing.
Further breakdown of the seizures include 1188 kegs of 25 litres of vegetable oil each, 31,705 litres of pms, 485 pieces of used tyres, 69 cartons of foreign bonita spaghetti, 24 bags of 50kg each of foreign sugar and five cartons of St.Louis, and 531cartons of foreign poultry products.
The Customs Area Controller of the Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this during the media briefing to once
again provide an insight into the ongoing efforts in the fight against
economic saboteurs across the South-Western states of Nigeria.
Still, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, who said the
Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ remains firm and focused on
safeguarding the nation’s borders, protecting the economy, and
combating all forms of illicit activities, also said the Unit under his humble
leadership has intensified decisive
measures against smugglers who would not stop to undermine
the enforcement of the federal government fiscal policy measures, and
the provisions of the NCS Act 2023.
In the same vein, he said the unit reinforced its anti-smuggling strategies
to continuously cut supply chain networks in drug trafficking with the
launch of an operation code named “OPERATION HAWK”
Besides, he said this is
aimed at curbing illicit goods trafficking, safeguarding revenue and
protecting the society and environment from incidences of crime,
criminalities and pervasive societal vices that threaten national
stability.
Additionally, he said the unit successfully took out 3,340
parcels of synthetic strain of cannabis indica, ‘Ghanaian loud’,
weighing 1540kg from the society.
Accordingly, he pointed out that this effort is an affirmation of the Unit’s
commitment in the fight against drugs smuggling syndicates in the
zone.
The Unit analysis of the trend in recent times, has shown that
traffickers are devising different methods to perpetuate illicit trade, and there is need for critical security stakeholders to upscale
their intelligence sharing mechanism to cut the supply chain
completely.
In addition to leveraging modern technologies for
intelligence gathering, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu said he has also constituted and effectively
coordinated a specialised team responsible for integrating Human
Intelligence (HUMINT) and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)
operations, which is already yielding positive and measurable results.
Indeed, he said in a separate operation, officers and men of the Gbaji outpost,
acting on credible intelligence on Thursday 30th April
2026, intercepted a green coloured Toyota Highlander driven by one
Mr. Oni Iredia Martins, a 71year old male Nigerian citizen suspected
to convey a Narcotics substance.
Further examination of the vehicle
revealed 6 parcels of cocaine substance, with 2 parcels of the powdered
substance cocaine weighing 2.3kg, and 4 parcels of the methamphetamine weighing 4.1kg of crack cocaine, all totalling 6.4kg of the
illicit substance.
It is reported that the consignment was intercepted at Elijah Bus stop
along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor, and has a street value of
approximately N2.35b.
It is also reported that numerous seizures occurred across borders
in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Ondo states, while several defendants were
arrested in connection with these operations.
In a clear demonstration of inter-agency collaboration, the seizures of
1,540kg of synthetic strain of cannabis indica, ‘Ghanaian loud,
totalling 3,340 compressed packages, together with the 6.4kg of
cocaine and methamphetamine will be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution in courts
of competent jurisdictions.
Importantly, these seizures underscore the operational
prowess and strategic effectiveness of the Unit’s operatives. They also
reinforce their unwavering dedication to disrupt smuggling networks
and confront economic saboteurs, whose actions threaten national
security and undermine the fiscal policies of the federal government
headlong.
In a similar development, vigilant officers on duty, seized four
cylinders of a chemical confirmed to be high grade mercury, used
illegally in small scale mining of gold.
Official report stated that the item is
a dual-purpose chemical that poses significant environmental
hazards and is controlled by the minamata convention on mercury.
Accordingly, the items were reportedly concealed in the false bottom segment in
the trunk of a TOYOTA AVENSIS, at the Gbaji outpost, along the
Lagos-Abidjan corridor.
That is not all, the arrest was effected together with a male
suspect who has been granted administrative bail, as investigation
reached an advanced stage.
Furthermore, the items and the suspect would be handed
over to NESREA in furtherance of the agency function as directed by
Headquarters.
In addition to the numerous physical seizures and arrests made,
the Unit also achieved remarkable success in revenue recovery through
sustained enforcement of compliance measures and anti-smuggling
operations.
The report from the Unit said a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦5,504,039,720.00 billion was recorded during the
period under review.
According to the report, this impressive figure is a clear testimony to the
scale, intensity, and strategic effectiveness of the operations across
Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Ondo States.
It underscores the Unit’s
unwavering commitment to the recovery of unpaid duties, interception
of under-declared consignments, and strict enforcement of the federal
government’s fiscal policies.
The report said the ₦5,504,039,720.00 billion
DPV further demonstrates the
significant contribution of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’ to
national revenue mobilization efforts, while simultaneously dealing a
heavy blow to economic saboteurs and smugglers who attempt to
undermine the nation’s economic interests.
It is noteworthy to state that this achievement
reinforces the Unit’s resolve to maintain a high level of operational efficiency
and fiscal responsibility in line with the vision of the Comptroller-
General of Customs.
Aside enforcement operations, the Federal Operations Unit Zone
‘A’ (FOU), also plays a vital role in ensuring compliance with import
and export regulations, strengthening the integrity of the declarations
on the trade value chain remains a priority.
Comptroller Gambo Aliyu is quoted as saying that: “In line with the one stop
initiative of the Service, the unit continues to scrutinize questionable
declarations, interdict unpaid duty and issue Demand Notices (DN) in
concert with the Post Clearance Audit, where necessary.
Consequently,
between 3rd February and 28th April 2026, a total of
N97,703,596.55 million was
recovered”.
In his words: “In alignment with the vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for a modern, technology-
driven Nigeria Customs Service, the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’
is aggressively advancing the digitization of its operations. We are
integrating cutting-edge technologies, particularly geospatial
intelligence, to curb unwholesome practices, including smuggling,
under-declaration, duty evasion, and illicit trafficking”.
In addition, he said this includes the
deployment of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellite
imagery, drone surveillance, real-time vehicle tracking, and predictive
analytics to map high-risk border corridors, monitor smuggling
hotspots in real time across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Ondo states, and
enable proactive, intelligence-led operations.
He is quoted as saying that: “Geospatial tools allow us to overlay seizure data, movement
patterns of contraband such as rice, used vehicles, and narcotics, and
intelligence reports on digital maps. This facilitates better resource
allocation, rapid response, and disruption of supply chains before they
reach our highways”.
He pointed out that the recent commissioning of the new state-of-the-
art command Headquarters at Iperu in Ogun State provides the perfect
infrastructure backbone for the modernization drive.
According to him, the facility will
host an advanced command and control centre equipped for
geospatial monitoring, data analytics, and seamless inter-agency
collaboration with NDLEA, Police, and other security and intelligence
organisations.
Moreover, he said this technological transformation aligns fully with the CGC’s
vision of modernizing the NCS to meet global standards, enhance
operational efficiency, improve revenue collection, and deliver faster
trade facilitation, while maintaining robust border security.
In his words: “By
embracing these tools, we are not only strengthening enforcement, but
also creating a more transparent, accountable, and responsive Customs
administration that supports legitimate trade in line with the WCO safe framework of standards.
In his comment, he said while the Unit maintain vigilance against smuggling, fraud and
criminalities, the FOU remains a strong partner in trade facilitation.
He added that the Unit will
continue to support legitimate trade through intelligence-driven
operations that strike a balance between security enforcement and
economic growth, ensuring that lawful traders are not unduly hindered
in the process.
Official report from customs said this is representative of the WCO safe framework of standards, which is evident as the Unit no longer
hear or receive complains of unnecessary hindrance of cargo
movements by the stakeholders who are doing legitimate businesses
along the major highways in the zone.
Before Comptroller Gambo Aliyu concluded the briefing, he used the opportunity
to inform the Journalists that the Unit shall commence a phased movement to the
newly commissioned ultra-modern Command Headquarters at Iperu in
Ogun State very soon.
He added that the Iperu Headquarters, personally
commissioned by His Excellency, the President and Commander-in-
Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu GCFR is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Beyond this, he said this
strategic relocation is not merely a change of physical address but a
transformative step in the CGC’s vision for a fully modernized and
efficient Nigeria Customs Service.
Still, he noted that the phased approach will ensure
minimal disruption to the Unit’s operations, while allowing officers and men
to gradually settle into the new facility.
Importantly too, he said this move will significantly
boost morale, enhance inter-agency collaboration, strengthen real-time
monitoring of smuggling routes across the South-West, and position the
Unit to deliver even greater results in revenue generation, trade
facilitation, and border security.
In his words: “We are confident that the relocation
will mark a new era of operational excellence for the Federal
Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’.
In conclusion, he expressed the Unit gratitude to the indefatigable
Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR
dsm fnipr fniia Psc (+), and his management team for their continued
guidance and for providing the Unit with the required direction which they are
thriving on.
He commended the tireless efforts of the Unit operatives and
reaffirm their commitment to securing our nation’s borders against all
forms of economic sabotage.
Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, who said the Unit will not relent in their mission to
uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s trade environment and protect our
economy from illicit trade practices, also deeply appreciated their
esteem stakeholders and media partners for their support and modest
reportage of their efforts.
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