Felix Kumuyi
Compt. Kaila’s Leadership Upswing at Seme Customs, Records Unprecedented N19.8Bn Revenue feat, Hits Smugglers Hard with Seizures worth N365M
Comptroller AS Kaila, CAC, Seme Border Command, NCS
The Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Border Command has continued to come strong, achieving unprecedented and humongous revenue and anti-smuggling feat under the current Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, who seems to stop at nothing in aiming high on the command’s mandates of revenue collection, anti-smuggling and facilitation of legitimate trade.
Seme, the busiest customs border command in the entire West African sub-region was recently a cynosure of all eyes when in the most recent press briefing held at the command headquarters, the CAC disclosed an unprecedented revenue collection sum of N19.8Bn in the period of Seven months (January to July, 2026), a feat never before achieved in the history of the command.
According to Comptroller Kaila, the collected 2026 revenue collection figure outweighs the entire collection of 2025 (from January to December 2025) which was put at N15.9Bn that is N15,941,258,676.01 signifying N3.89Bn that is N3,899,022,112.49 difference with about five months down the year 2025 and representing a 24.45 percent increase.
Similarly, the CAC announced the willingness of an effective enforcement operatives to record humongous feat in its anti-smuggling operations, where various prohibited items, among them include 3,300 cartridges of explosives, 373 parcel of Cannabis Sativa Tramaking, 1,268 bags of 50kg rice etc, all worth more than N365 million have been intercepted by the Seme/Badagry Customs command.
He noted that the gathering is not merely to display seizures, but to tell the story behind them. Every interception made by this Command represents a deliberate choice between patriotism and greed, between lawful trade and criminality, between protecting Nigerians and allowing dangerous goods to infiltrate our borders. Bellow contained the outlined stories in segments.
Comptroller Kaila began with a seizure that directly concerns the health and well-being of millions of Nigerians. Following credible intelligence, officers of the Seme Area Command intercepted a truck that was deceptively declared to be carrying food items. Acting on intelligence and sustained surveillance, our officers subjected the consignment to thorough examination and uncovered 1,306 sacks of expired and waste noodles, each weighing 50 kilograms.
What was discovered was deeply disturbing because many of the products had already deteriorated and were visibly decomposing. Intelligence further revealed that the intention was to repackage, relabel and introduce these products into Nigerian markets for unsuspecting consumers. Had this shipment succeeded, countless families would have been exposed to serious health hazards ranging from food poisoning and gastrointestinal diseases to other life-threatening medical complications.
By intercepting these products, he said the Nigeria Customs Service has once again demonstrated that border security is also a form of public health protection.
“Every child, every family and every Nigerian has been protected from what could have become a silent public health disaster”, he said.
In a separate enforcement operations conducted across different flashpoints within our area of responsibility, the Command also intercepted 1,268 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50 kilograms, smuggled through illegal routes. He noted that, beyond denying government legitimate revenue, such illicit importation undermines the Federal Government’s agricultural policies, discourages local rice production and threatens the livelihoods of Nigerian farmers.
COMBATING ILLICIT DRUGS AND HARMFUL SUBSTANCES
According to the CAC, the fight against illicit drugs remains one of the Service’s critical contributions to national security and public safety. Pursuant to this, he said the Command intercepted the following shipments: 373 parcels of Cannabis Sativa 90 packs of Tramaking 250mg 69 packs of Royal Tapentadol 250mg and 310,000 sticks of Time/Yes cigarettes.
According to him, these are not ordinary commodities, they are dangerous products capable of destroying lives, fueling criminality, encouraging substance abuse and undermining the future of our young people.
The illicit drugs intercepted, he said are often linked to cultism, armed robbery, violent crimes and other social vices, while smuggled cigarettes evade health regulations, avoid payment of statutory duties and expose consumers to products outside approved quality standards. “Through these interceptions, the Seme Area Command has disrupted criminal supply chains and prevented these dangerous products from reaching our communities”, the CAC noted.
SAFEGUARDING NATIONAL SECURITY
“Among the seizures displayed today is one that poses perhaps the greatest threat to national security.Our officers intercepted 3,300 cartridges of explosive materials being illegally conveyed through the border corridor.
“Explosives of this nature have devastating consequences when they fall into the hands of criminal elements. They have the potential to facilitate terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes capable of threatening national peace and security. The successful interception of these explosives demonstrates the vigilance, professionalism and intelligence- driven operations of our officers, working in close collaboration with sister security agencies.
“Considering the sensitive nature of the seizure, the explosive materials have already been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit for safe custody and further investigation”, Comptroller Kaila explained.
PROTECTING THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY
The Seme Customs boss emphasized that the command’s renewed resolve to fight smuggling and cross-border crimes using intelligence is paying off and continues to disrupt the activities of those bent on sabotaging our economy.
“As part of its anti-smuggling efforts, the Command intercepted: One used speed boat One used Water Bike One used Toyota Land Cruiser (2017 Model) One used Toyota RAV4 (2016 Model) and One used Nissan Versa (2010 Model)”, he said.
He however put the total Duty Paid Value of all items on display at ₦365,163,709.
“To those engaged in smuggling activities, our message remains unequivocal, Seme is no longer a safe corridor for economic sabotage”, the CAC said unequivocally.
REVENUE PERFORMANCE AND TRADE FACILITATION
For Comptroller Kaila, while enforcement remains highly visible, it represents only one dimension of customs statutory responsibilities, noting that the second is facilitating legitimate trade while generating revenue for national development.
According to him, in 2025, the Seme Area Command generated a total revenue of ₦15,941,258,676. He said that achievement reflected improved compliance, enhanced stakeholder engagement, and strengthened operational efficiency.
“Yet our revenue performance in 2026 has been even more remarkable, between January and July 2026, the Command generated ₦19,840,280,788.50.
“This means that within only seven months, the Command has surpassed its entire twelve-month revenue collection for 2025 by ₦3,899,022,112.49, representing a 24.45 per cent increase.
“This achievement demonstrates that effective enforcement and efficient trade facilitation are complementary responsibilities. While we continue to deny smugglers opportunities to undermine the economy, we remain equally committed to creating an enabling environment for compliant traders to conduct legitimate business with ease and predictability” the CAC said.
He however said the above achievements reflect the dedication and resilience of officers and men of the Seme Area Command, who continue to work tirelessly in protecting our nation from economic saboteurs and transnational criminal networks.
He further noted that the command remains committed to supporting the Federal Government’s economic reforms, promoting regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), facilitating compliant trade and ensuring that smugglers have no safe haven within our area of responsibility.
Meanwhile, the seized illicit drugs and unregistered pharmaceutical products seized were formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) respectfully for further investigation and necessary action, while according to the CAC, the explosive materials (along with one suspect) have already been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit due to their highly sensitive nature.
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