The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has intensified efforts to protect local industries and preserve jobs with the interception of prohibited imported goods valued at over N273.7 million in Cross River State.
Speaking at a press briefing in Calabar, the state capital, the Customs Area Controller of the Cross River/Calabar Free Trade Zone/Akwa Ibom Area Command, Comptroller Giwa Dauda, said the seizures were part of ongoing operations aimed at curbing smuggling and safeguarding investments made by Nigerian manufacturers.
Comptroller Dauda disclosed that Customs officers intercepted two 20-foot containers loaded with 1,996 kegs of foreign refined vegetable oil along the Odukpani–Calabar Highway on June 14, 2026.
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According to him, the products, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N195.5 million, were concealed in a truck intercepted during a routine patrol operation.
He noted that the importation of foreign refined vegetable oil remains prohibited under the Nigerian Government’s import policy.
Comptroller Dauda stressed that unchecked inflow of such products would undermine local production, discourage investment, and threaten jobs across Nigeria’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
“These products are listed under the Federal Government’s import prohibition policy, which seeks to stimulate local production, promote self-sufficiency, and strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base,” Dauda stated.
The Area Controller further revealed that the Command seized 1,500 used tyres and 105 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing, bringing the total Duty Paid Value of all intercepted items to N273.7 million.
In a related development, the Command also intercepted 800 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), raising the total volume of petrol seized in 2026 to 5,760 litres.
Dauda explained that the seized fuel was disposed of in line with approved safety procedures due to its highly combustible nature.
He warned smugglers and other economic saboteurs to desist from illegal importation activities, noting that such practices weaken local industries, distort fair competition, and undermine government efforts to diversify the economy through industrialisation.
The Customs boss reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to enforcing trade regulations and supporting policies designed to boost domestic production and economic growth.
