Felix Kumuyi
CGC Adeniyi Talks Tough over Illicit Export Goods via Nigerian Airports, Tasks Officers to Curb Menace
… Vows to Deal with Culprits, Collaborators
CG of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, PhD
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR PhD, was on a frank mode when he admonished officers and men of Murtala Mohammed Airport Area Command of the NCS, especially those operating at the export unit. to raise their operational ante at ensuring strict examination of export goods, to rise above antics of economic saboteurs and nip in the bud illegal export goods at the airports.
This call which was made during an unscheduled impromptu visit of the CGC to the command on Monday, March 09, 2026, as he said it is a visit meant to discuss issue of national importance, noting that it is to draw attention of the commamd to the unfortunate incidents that have been repeating itself outside country, whereby goods exported from Nigeria are either seized because of the breach of some regulatory requirements on export prohibition, or because they constitute some danger to public health for whatever reasons.
Further on his mission at the command, CGC Adeniyi said, over the years, this has contributed a source of very great reputation damage, not only to Nigeria Customs Service, but also to Nigeria as a whole, as he recalled various times in the past, goods that have violated our own export prohibition or those that have violated the import prohibition of the receiving countries are found, and some of these may have been passed knowingly or unknowingly by officers at the various export terminals.
He however said, his visit is to draw attention of officers to this unfortunate and ugly trend, while they are atop and responsive to their responsibility.
‘You will recall that sometimes in the past, I think just about a year ago or so, a Nigerian was arrested for taking smuggled cigarettes from Nigeria into the United Kingdom, and he was he was taken to court. It became a celebrated case, and we kept hearing the fact that these items were cleared for outward exports by Nigeria Customs Service’, he said.
“I have therefore invited you today to brief the public on the developments to the movement of outbound cargo and passenger baggage through Nigerian international airports”, he said.
He also explained that the briefing is intended to provide clarity on measures being implemented by the service to safeguard Nigeria’s export channels and prevent the misuse of our international gateways for unlawful activities.
According to the CGC, Nigeria’s international Airports play an increasingly important role in the international supply chains, with the growth of non-oil exports and expanding the air cargo logistics.
He noted that these gateways, like the ones here, connect Nigerian businesses to markets across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Adeniyi further noted that Nigeria Customs Service remains committed to facilitating legitimate trade through these channels, while ensuring that those channels are not exploited by criminal networks.
He however said, intelligence assessments and cooperation with international enforcement partners indicate that illicit actors sometimes attempt to exploit outbound cargo routes and passenger baggage channels for the unlawful movement of certain goods, and that these risks are not limited to any single commodity.
‘Globally, enforcement authorities have recorded attempts to move sensitive items such as protected wildlife species and derivatives, precious minerals, cultural artifacts, and other regulated goods through our air transport routes.
“The goods we are talking about may not necessarily fall under export prohibition, but they may also be regulated by some other agencies of government. For example, some people, some criminal elements, may want to export goods that are illicit in terms of standards.
‘Maybe they do not meet some standard specification, or maybe they are outright counterfeits. This has been very common with specific examples of cigarettes and other tobacco products, alcohol, and some of their beverages. There have been several seizures of illicit or counterfeit cigarettes or beverages of alcohol that are produced in Nigeria and are exported through our cargo sheds.
“While this may not necessarily be under export prohibition, there are a number of other import prohibitions that are guiding this, and we must therefore not allow them to be exported out of Nigeria’, the CAC frankly pointed.
In response to this menace, Adeniyi noted that, Nigeria Customs Service is strengthening its monitoring and risk management frameworks across international airports, as well as enhancing scrutiny to ensure that cargo declarations, export documentation, and passenger baggage are done in accordance with international best practices.
He also said, Nigeria continued to cooperate with international enforcement partners in addressing transnational smuggling networks.
He noted that through platforms such as the World Customs Organization, WCO, Interpol, and International Compliance Mechanism under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES, the NCS participates in intelligent sharing and coordinated enforcement efforts aimed at protecting legitimate trade rules.
Furthermore, Adeniyi said the Service also have similar cooperation with the owners of brands to ensure that whatever they produce are not counterfeited and exported through our airports.
According to him, recent intelligence received through this cooperative channel has drawn attention to instances where consignments suspected to have originated from Nigeria were intercepted abroad after being concealed within passenger baggage or cargo shipments.
He said, sometimes they are actually declared in the nation’s cargo units like cigarettes, but when they are declared, most of the time the products declared are not those that are manufactured for export. In some of these cases, enforcement authorities overseas reported seizures of undeclared cigarettes concealed in suitcases or cargo packages arriving in international routes that are linked to Nigeria.
Regrettably, he said while some of the interceptions occurred outside Nigeria’s jurisdiction, they highlight the importance of strengthening export controls at the point of departure to ensure that Nigeria’s aviation gateways are not exploited for the movement of illicit tobacco products or other prohibited or counterfeited exports.
He however noted that going forward the service sjall accordingly intensify risk profiling and monitoring of health bound consignments across key international airports, noting that the service efforts will as well include enhanced collaboration with airline operators, cargo terminal operators, and other relevant agencies.
He said these measures are designed to ensure that export documentation, cargo declarations, and passenger baggage comply fully with applicable regulations.
“You know that every international passenger is entitled to some duty-free items when you are traveling. So if you are a smoker, for example, you are entitled to, I think the allowance is about two packs of cigarettes, that would be about 50 or 100 sticks, and for alcohol, one or two bottles.
“It’s allowed. But beyond that, it means that this has to be subjected to the extant customs laws and procedure. Exporters, free forwarders, logistic operators, travelers, and officers are therefore reminded to comply fully with all customs procedures and applicable export regulations.
“Goods subject to regulatory control must be accompanied by the necessary permits and documentation prior to exports’, the CGC said.
Adeniyi further noted that, Nigeria Customs Service will continue to facilitate legitimate trade, while safeguarding Nigeria’s economic interests and protecting the integrity of the nation’s international gateways.
As a note of warning in his conclusion, the CGC was frank and direct when he said, any officer found to have acted as accessory to the committing of those offenses related to illegal exportations of goods from Nigeria would be penalized, while heavy sanctions also await other stakeholders who must have acted, collusion, act of omission, or whether they are doing it deliberately. He said all of these people will be thoroughly investigated and the long arms of the law will be applied and they can be assured that they will be dealt with accordingly.
Earlier, Adeniyi used the opportunity of the visit to appreciate all female officers in commemoration of the International Women’s Day, as he acknowledged the work they do, while he teased that in the pursuit of the service mandate of trade facilitation, revenue generation, and anti-smuggling, only very few can man checkpoints, but at the same, they are still accepted as what they are doing is valuable to NSC.
While fielding answers to questions on the used of scanners to curb so,e of the menace, the CGC said in some of the terminals, there are scanners that have been deployed, in some there are no scanners. He however said the NCS will have some conversations with the operators of the terminals where there are no scanners, to ensure that they are able to deploy this kind of non-intrusive technology tools that will assist the service to discharge their duties effectively.
Earlier in his welcome address, the host, Customs Area Controller (CAC), Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) Area Command. Comptroller Godwin Otunla warmly welcome the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR to the MMAC of the NCS, noting that his presence in this command is highly significant and deeply appreciated, as well as in demonstration of his unwavering commitment to effective leadership, operational efficiency, and close engagement with officers and men across commands of the service.
The CAC undoubtedly noted that the CGC visit will further inspire officers and men of the command to redouble their efforts in the discharge of their statutory responsibilities.
He however seized the opportunity of the engagement visit to present the command’s modest achievements under his watch, discuss operational realities
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