Kwara Customs Generates N3.89bn, Seizes Contraband Worth ₦204.7m as Kano/Jigawa Holds Compliance Workshop
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts to strengthen trade compliance and anti-smuggling operations, with the Kano/Jigawa and Kwara Area Commands recording significant revenue growth and enforcement successes in the first quarter of 2026.
At a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop organised by the Kano/Jigawa Area Command on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, Customs officials urged traders and clearing agents to embrace compliance and adapt to ongoing technological reforms introduced by the Service.
The workshop, held at the Abdullahi Dikko Inde CFR Conference Hall, brought together key stakeholders operating within the Command and was attended by the Zonal Coordinator, Zone B, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs (ACG) Nsikan Umoh.
Speaking at the event, the Acting Customs Area Controller of the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Usman Adamu, commended stakeholders for their cooperation and compliance, noting that their support had translated into improved revenue generation.
According to him, the Command generated about ₦7 billion from the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) operations in April 2026, compared to ₦1.8 billion recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.
“I would like to specially commend our stakeholders for their level of compliance since my assumption of duty as the Acting Customs Area Controller, which has translated into measurable outcomes,” Adamu said.
He added that the sensitisation exercise was organised to consolidate the gains achieved and deepen stakeholders’ understanding of Customs procedures and regulatory requirements.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Tahir Balarabe, stated in a press release issued on May 8, 2026, that the workshop featured presentations on excise operations, Customs clearance procedures, trade facilitation within the Free Trade Zone, and the Unified Customs Management System, popularly known as B’Odogwu.
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According to him, the presentations provided practical insights into cargo clearance processes and the Service’s modernisation initiatives aimed at improving operational efficiency and facilitating legitimate trade.
Also speaking at the event, ACG Umoh encouraged stakeholders to embrace technological innovations introduced by the Service, describing the sensitisation programme as critical to enhancing efficiency and compliance within the Customs system.
Meanwhile, the Kwara Area Command of the NCS disclosed that it generated over ₦3.89 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2026 and recorded seizures worth more than ₦204.7 million between March and May.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Najeem Ogundeyi, made the disclosure during a press briefing held on Wednesday, May 7, 2026.
Ogundeyi stated that despite the continued closure of Nigeria’s border with the Republic of Benin since August 2019, the Command had sustained revenue generation through excise operations and intensified anti-smuggling activities.
He explained that Customs operatives conducted enforcement operations across several identified smuggling corridors within Kwara State and neighbouring areas, including the Bukuro, Gurumi, Sikira, Okuta, Boriya, Tewu, Bero, Alapa, Malete and Eiyenkorin axes.
According to him, the routes remain under close surveillance due to their frequent use by smugglers involved in illegal trade and the movement of prohibited goods.
Items intercepted during the operations included 555 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 70 used tyres, 418 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 3,697 packages of macaroni pasta, 237 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit, 49.5 kilogrammes of cannabis, 376 kilogrammes of tramadol, corrosive oxidiser chemicals, and 18 bales of second-hand clothing.
The seizures, recorded in nine separate operations, had a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦204,763,439.
“We will continue to secure our borders and ensure that those involved in illegal activities are brought to justice while legitimate trade thrives,” Ogundeyi stated.
He attributed the Command’s achievements to improved intelligence gathering, operational discipline, and collaboration with other security agencies, while also commending the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the Service’s management team for their support.
By PRNigeria
