Five days after CGC visit, customs reinforces anti-smuggling drive with major drug bust at Apapa

By Ezurike Ugochukwu 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has recorded another major enforcement breakthrough with the seizure of codeine syrup valued at ₦3.398 billion at the Apapa Port.

The latest interception comes barely five days after the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, declared that the port would no longer serve as a haven for smugglers and criminal networks disguising illicit cargo under legitimate documentation.

Acting on intelligence, Customs officers, in a joint operation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Sunday, March 15, 2026, intercepted two containers loaded with codeine-based syrup cleverly concealed within household items.

The seized consignment comprised 3,398 cartons containing 339,800 bottles of codeine syrup. One of the containers was found to contain 1,700 cartons hidden among insulated casserole products, while the second held 1,698 cartons similarly concealed with kitchenware. Both containers have since been confiscated in line with provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

Speaking on the development, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Emmanuel Oshoba, said the seizure underscores the Command’s commitment to the enforcement directives of the CGC and the Service’s broader intelligence-driven strategy.

He noted that the operation was a direct response to the Comptroller-General’s recent charge to officers to intensify surveillance and enforcement across the port.

“This fresh seizure, coming just days after the CGC’s visit and strong warning to criminal elements, demonstrates our resolve. We will continue to make Apapa Port extremely hostile to smugglers and drug traffickers,” Oshoba stated.

He commended the NDLEA for its strong collaboration, describing the inter-agency synergy as critical to the success of the operation.

The Area Controller reaffirmed the Command’s determination to safeguard public health and national security while ensuring that only legitimate trade passes through the port, in line with ongoing reforms focused on technology-driven enforcement and zero tolerance for smuggling.