The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 56 containers of prohibited and improperly declared goods with a combined duty paid value of N5.53 billion, warning importers that it will not allow illicit imports to undermine Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and other domestic producers.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the seizures on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, while briefing journalists at the Port Harcourt II Area Command in Onne, Rivers State.
Adeniyi said the interceptions were the product of intelligence-driven and risk-based enforcement operations designed to stop prohibited, restricted and falsely declared consignments from flooding the Nigerian market.
“The intervention formed part of intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at preventing prohibited, restricted and improperly declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market, thereby crippling the overall productivity of our local businesses,” Adeniyi said.
According to the Customs boss, the seizure was not merely a revenue-enforcement exercise but part of efforts to protect domestic production and preserve jobs threatened by the influx of goods that could be produced or processed locally.
45 Containers Of Vegetable Oil, Used Clothes Intercepted
The 56 containers comprised 45 20-foot containers of foreign vegetable oil, nine 40-foot containers of used clothing and two 20-foot containers of Channy tomato paste, according to the NCS.
Adeniyi warned that unchecked importation of goods capable of being produced locally exposes Nigerian businesses to unfair competition, weakens demand for domestic products and could discourage investment in local value chains.
He said the consequences were particularly serious for the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
“The economic impact is especially significant in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Large-scale importation of products that Nigeria can produce or process may undermine the Federal Government’s efforts to promote local industries, strengthen food security, create jobs, and diversify the economy,” he said.
The Comptroller-General said Customs enforcement was not intended to frustrate legitimate businesses, stressing that the Service was deploying a risk-based system that allows compliant cargo to move while subjecting high-risk consignments to enhanced scrutiny.
“The Service’s risk-based approach enabled it to facilitate legitimate cargo while directing enhanced scrutiny towards consignments considered high-risk,” he said.
‘Know What Is Admissible Before Importing’
Adeniyi commended the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, and officers of the Port Harcourt II Area Command for the interceptions.
He also urged importers and other stakeholders to verify the admissibility of their intended consignments before commencing transactions.
The CGC specifically advised importers to make truthful and complete declarations covering the description, quantity, value, origin and classification of their goods.
He said the seizures were consistent with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives, particularly policies aimed at promoting Made-in-Nigeria products, strengthening domestic industries, protecting jobs and deepening local production.
The NCS maintained that while legitimate trade would continue to receive facilitation, consignments capable of undermining domestic production through prohibition violations, false declarations or other forms of non-compliance would face intensified scrutiny.
