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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, Controller, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service says the Command’s latest revenue recovery is encouraging, reaffirming a determination to identify and recover revenue lost through under-declaration, false declarations and other forms of customs fraud. Importers, exporters and licensed customs agents, he insists, should ensure accurate declarations and full compliance with extant customs laws and regulations as the Unit will always facilitate legitimate trade while taking decisive action against individuals and businesses engaged in smuggling and revenue evasion.
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‎This is contained in a release by Chief Superintendent of Customs Hussaini Abdullahi on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu.
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‎FOU Zone ‘A’, the release explained, will always intercept foreign parboiled rice, vegetable oil, poultry products, foreign-used vehicles, used clothing, and other prohibited goods as part of measures to protect domestic industries, support national food security and safeguard legitimate government revenue.
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‎” Similarly, the interception of illicit drugs, unregulated pharmaceutical products, and other controlled substances contributes to protecting public health and preventing the circulation of substances capable of undermining the wellbeing of citizens, particularly young Nigerians. The recovery of elephant tusks also reinforces the Service’s role in supporting national efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking and protect endangered species.”
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‎The Comptroller who emphasised that the Unit’s enforcement activities are being undertaken within a balanced framework that combines robust border enforcement with trade facilitation attributed the successes recorded during the period to enhanced intelligence gathering, risk profiling, inter-agency collaboration, intelligence fusion, and the cooperation of stakeholders and members of the public. He assured compliant traders of the Service’s continued commitment to creating a fair, predictable, and transparent trading environment, while warning that the Unit would sustain its zero-tolerance approach to smuggling, revenue fraud and other forms of economic sabotage.
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‎The seizures include 4,956 bags of foreign parboiled rice weighing 50kg each, equivalent to eight trailer loads; 12 foreign-used vehicles; 2,683 parcels of synthetic cannabis (Sativa) weighing 1,439.9kg; 49 parcels of Ghanaian Loud weighing 26.1kg; one parcel of crystal methamphetamine weighing 0.35kg; 13 parcels of granular cannabis weighing 1.35kg; 240,000 tablets of Tramadol; 12,000 tablets of Hypnox; 22 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg; 964 25-litre jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), equivalent to 24,100 litres; 26 cartons of foreign vegetable oil containing four 5-litre units each; 686 cartons of foreign poultry products; 414 bales of used clothing; and 2,947 pieces of used tyres, among other prohibited and smuggled items intercepted through intelligence-led operations.
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‎Also impounded were 220 consignments of prohibited and smuggled goods valued at N3,237,132,640.00 in Duty Paid Value, while the recovered revenue stood at N728,976,725.03. The operation anchored on sharpened risk profiling, rigorous compliance checks and targeted strikes against suspicious declarations, underscores the Unit’s unrelenting commitment to protecting local industries, securing government revenue, and keeping Nigeria’s trade corridors free of contraband, the Command stated.
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‎The CAC vowed the Command’s  commitment to support the Federal Government’s economic objectives by protecting domestic production, promoting compliance, facilitating legitimate trade, and preventing the entry and circulation of prohibited and harmful goods.
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‎The Unit appreciates the continued support of sister agencies, stakeholders, border communities and members of the public whose intelligence and cooperation contribute significantly to her enforcement efforts. Comptroller Aliyu called for sustained partnership from the business community and the general public, noting that collective compliance and vigilance remain essential to consolidating the gains recorded in revenue recovery, border protection, public safety, and national economic development.
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎Come September 10, 2026, top government officials, industry leaders and maritime stakeholders will converge to discuss and chart a new course for the competitiveness of Nigerian ports.
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‎The event being put together by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria
‎(MARAN) to mark her MARAN Annual Maritime Lecture (MAMAL) holds at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos, under the theme: “Nigerian Ports Modernisation, Charges and the Competitiveness Question.”
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‎The event is expected to provide a high-level platform for discussions on the reforms needed to make Nigerian ports more efficient, cost-effective and globally competitive.
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‎Deliberations, the organizers say, will focus on key issues affecting the nation’s maritime industry. These include port infrastructure modernisation, operational efficiency, port charges, trade facilitation and policy reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s position as a leading maritime hub in West and Central Africa.
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‎Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, will attend as the Special Guest of Honour, highlighting the Federal Government’s commitment to deepen reforms in the maritime and blue economy sectors.
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‎The keynote address will be delivered by Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU). She is expected to outline the Federal Government’s policy direction and the role of coordinated reforms in improving port efficiency, attracting investment and driving economic growth.
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‎MARAN President, Mr. Oluyinka Onigbinde, disclosed that the lecture will be chaired by TANTITA Security Services Limited. He said the event will bring together government officials, maritime agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, port users, investors, academics, development partners and media practitioners for robust discussions on the future of Nigeria’s port industry.
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‎Onigbinde noted that MAMAL has earned a reputation as one of the maritime sector’s foremost policy dialogue platforms, providing stakeholders with the opportunity to exchange ideas, build partnerships and recommend practical solutions to challenges confronting the industry.
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‎He added that this year’s lecture is expected to generate actionable recommendations on reducing the cost of doing business at Nigerian ports, improving operational efficiency, enhancing investor confidence and accelerating Nigeria’s quest to become a preferred maritime and logistics hub in the sub-region.
‎MARAN has therefore called on stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to participate actively in the event, describing MAMAL 2026 as a strategic forum for shaping policies and partnerships that will drive sustainable growth, competitiveness and innovation in Nigeria’s maritime industry.
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎The 100% Compliance Team of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has called for immediate suspension and refund of illegal tolls and charges allegedly being collected from freight forwarders at some bonded terminals in Lagos.
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‎The demand is contained in a notice by Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, National Coordinator of the Compliance Team, addressed to managers of bonded terminals operating under the Nigeria Customs Service, Zone A, Lagos.
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‎In the notice, NAGAFF gave the affected terminals seven days to provide documentary evidence of the legal authority backing the disputed charges or face possible regulatory and legal action.
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‎The association alleged that some bonded terminals, alongside individuals purportedly acting on behalf of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), have been imposing additional charges on imported containers and cargo handling separate from statutory fees payable to relevant government agencies.
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‎According to NAGAFF, the alleged charges are as high as $3,000 for a 20-foot container and $6,000 for a 40-foot container. The Association says more than ₦178 million has so far been collected from its members under the disputed charges.
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‎NAGAFF explained that it had repeatedly requested evidence of lawful authorisation for the collections, including gazettes, approved tariffs and other regulatory instruments, but these have not been provided.
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‎The association also questioned the transparency of the collections, citing what it described as the absence of official receipts issued by relevant regulatory authorities, published tariffs or legal notices establishing the charges.
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‎Continuous collection of the disputed fees, the Association argues, amounts to an unlawful restriction on trade facilitation even as it imposes additional financial burdens on freight forwarders operating through the affected terminals.
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‎NAGAFF therefore demands an immediate halt to the collection of the disputed charges and the refund of all sums it considers to have been unlawfully collected from its members.
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‎It further requests that where a refund cannot be made immediately, the affected terminals submit a written proposal for reconciliation and refund within a seven-day period.
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‎The association warns that failure to meet its demands could trigger further regulatory and legal measures including petitions to relevant government agencies, moves to shut down affected bonded terminals and legal proceedings to protect the interests of its members.
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‎NAGAFF also called on the Managing Director of the NPA to make available relevant instruments prohibiting the collection of association dues within ports and terminal areas.
‎Specifically, the association requested access to a purported NPA port order and a Lagos High Court order relating to the payment of such dues, saying the documents would help clarify the regulatory position on the disputed collections.
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‎NAGAFF insists that all charges imposed on freight forwarders and cargo owners within the port and terminal environment should have clear legal and regulatory backing for the sake of transparency.
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‎Such transparency and accountability, the Association says, were necessary to promote efficient trade facilitation and protect freight forwarders and cargo owners from what it described as unjustified financial burdens within the maritime sector.
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‎The notice was copied to the Nigeria Shippers’ Council, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), port managers, as well as the Founder and National President of NAGAFF.
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