By Tricia Ikem
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Idiroko Area Command, has intercepted two rare 19th-century artefacts and a cache of prohibited items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦1.35 billion.
The Acting Area Controller, Mr Olukayode Afeni, disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the command headquarters in Idiroko, Ogun.
Afeni said the interception was part of intensified anti-smuggling operations along the Nigeria–Benin Republic border.
He explained that the recovered artefacts are of significant historical and cultural importance to Nigeria.
According to him, the artefacts were subjected to expert evaluation before being handed over to the National Museum in Abeokuta for preservation.
Afeni noted that efforts are ongoing to recover more Nigerian artefacts taken out of the country in the past, stressing that such recoveries restore national pride.
He said the development underscores the command’s commitment to curbing illicit trafficking and protecting Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
The controller added that the operations also yielded improved revenue performance for the command.
He said the command generated ₦285,652,460 during the review period, exceeding the ₦259,265,495 recorded within the same period in 2025.
Afeni attributed the increase to enhanced baggage assessment, auctioning of seized petroleum products, and strict enforcement of fiscal policies.
He said investigations revealed that smuggled vegetable oil was being brought into the country in small quantities through creeks, thereby undermining local producers.
“By removing these illicit goods, we are promoting fair trade, protecting local industries, and safeguarding public health,” he said.
Afeni listed the seized items to include 545 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) totalling 13,625 litres, 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 2,539 kegs of vegetable oil, 4,325 cartons of spaghetti, and 2,547 parcels of cannabis sativa.
Other items seized, he said, include second-hand clothing and footwear, sugar, used tyres, pharmaceutical products, perfume oil, two used vehicles, and four live pangolins.
He added that the cannabis consignments had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), while the rescued pangolins were transferred to a wildlife conservation organisation for proper care.
