The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has intercepted nine containers of illicit narcotics and expired pharmaceutical products with a Duty Paid Value of ₦53,391,140,029.00 at the Apapa Area Command.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR PhD, disclosed this on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, during the handover of the seized items to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC.
Adeniyi said the seizures were made following intelligence gathering, scanning analysis, physical examination and collaboration with the NDLEA, days after the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
According to the CGC, the command intercepted two 40ft containers loaded with 3,639 parcels and 9,918 sachets of Cannabis Sativa, popularly called ‘Canadian Loud’, weighing over 6.7 metric tonnes. The drugs were concealed alongside imported vehicles, spare parts and household items.
Also intercepted were two containers with 3,398 cartons, equivalent to 339,800 bottles of Codeine Syrup, hidden inside cartons of casserole dishes.
Three other containers contained expired pharmaceuticals including Tramadol, Oxytocin injections, Mexclor Eye Drops, Carbamazepine tablets, Cloxicillin capsules, Vitamin B12 injections and B Complex injections.
Another seizure was a container of 1,100 packages of CHACOLD Chlorpheniramine Maleate Capsules with a fake NAFDAC registration number and December 2028 expiry date. Adeniyi said verification showed the product was not registered with NAFDAC, indicating a deliberate attempt to smuggle unregistered drugs into the country.
Adeniyi said the seizures represent “lives protected, families preserved, communities secured and countless young Nigerians shielded from the devastating consequences of drug abuse and unsafe medicines.”
“In accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, narcotic drugs will be formally handed over to NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution. Expired pharmaceuticals will be transferred to NAFDAC for regulatory action and safe disposal,” he stated.
He commended officers of Apapa Area Command for their vigilance and acknowledged the collaboration with NDLEA, NAFDAC and other security agencies.
The CGC warned that “Nigeria’s ports are no longer safe havens for smugglers,” adding that the Service will continue to use technology, intelligence and coordinated border management to block illicit trade.
Adeniyi was speaking days after chairing the 147th/148th Sessions of the World Customs Organisation Council in Brussels, where 187 member countries deliberated on ‘Customs Protecting the Society through Vigilance and Commitment’.
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