Lagos, Nigeria – June 11, 2025 – The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service has reaffirmed its resolve to intensify operations against economic saboteurs as part of ongoing efforts to protect Nigeria’s economy from the activities of smugglers and other illicit traders.
In a recent operation that stretched across parts of Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states, FOU ‘A’ operatives arrested seven suspects in connection with various smuggling activities involving contraband goods and evasion of customs duties.
The acting Controller of the Unit, Deputy Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, disclosed this in a press briefing held at the unit’s headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos. He explained that the arrests were made following credible intelligence and surveillance that exposed multiple smuggling rings operating along border corridors and urban centres.
“These arrests reinforce our commitment to dismantling networks of economic sabotage. No amount of resistance or distraction will stop us from performing our statutory duty of securing the nation’s revenue base and protecting legitimate trade,” Ejibunu declared.
Among the items seized during the latest crackdown were foreign parboiled rice, vehicles smuggled into the country without customs clearance, used tyres, unregistered pharmaceuticals, and cartons of frozen poultry—all prohibited or restricted under Nigerian trade laws.
The controller warned that economic sabotage in any form would be met with the full weight of the law, stressing that the unit will continue to pursue offenders relentlessly, prosecute culprits, and ensure forfeiture of illegally imported goods.
“We will not relent. These activities not only deprive the government of much-needed revenue but also put the health and safety of Nigerians at risk. We are stepping up our intelligence and inter-agency collaborations to track and intercept smugglers before they get anywhere near the market,” he said.
Ejibunu also used the occasion to appeal to communities along the border areas to support customs operations by providing useful information and shunning any form of complicity with smugglers.
The Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ has been at the forefront of Nigeria Customs Service’s anti-smuggling war, recording several high-profile seizures and arrests in recent years. Trade experts and economists have lauded the unit’s consistency, noting that curbing illegal imports remains vital for safeguarding local industries and stabilising the economy.