The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted and seized diverted transit containers containing assorted goods valued at over ₦769.5 million in Kano and Jigawa axis.
This was achieved as part of intensified efforts to curb cargo diversion, smuggling and trade-related fraud across the country.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Customs House, Kano/Jigawa Area Command, where he detailed a series of seizures recorded between the second and fourth quarters of 2025.
According to Adeniyi, the seizures involved 20 containers originally destined for inland terminals and Free Trade Zones but illegally diverted to private warehouses and markets in violation of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
He said the total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items stood at ₦769,533,666.
Among the seized items were containers of ceramic and vitrified tiles, diesel engine oil, polyester materials, used clothing, printed and lace fabrics, medical consumables, and Zamzam branded bottled water, some of which are prohibited under the Common External Tariff.
The Customs boss explained that seven containers loaded with ceramic tiles valued at over ₦228 million were unlawfully diverted from the Kano Free Trade Zone and intercepted along the Hadejia Road corridor.
Other interceptions were made in the Dakata Industrial Area, Kwari Market, Yankaba axis and en route to bonded terminals in Kano.
Adeniyi further revealed that three containers carrying medical consumables and lace fabrics were forfeited to the Federal Government following a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Kano on 10 December 2025.
In a related development, the Comptroller-General announced that one Abdulrahman Sani Adam was convicted by the Federal High Court for container diversion and sentenced to three years imprisonment, with an option of a ₦3 million fine.
He described cargo diversion as a serious economic and security threat, noting that it leads to revenue losses, undermines fair competition and damages Nigeria’s international trade reputation.
Introducing Technology
To address the challenge, Adeniyi said the Service is finalising the nationwide deployment of an electronic cargo tracking system, which has already been successfully tested in the South-West and North-West zones.
The system, he explained, will provide real-time monitoring of containers from seaports to their final destinations.
The Comptroller-General warned importers, freight forwarders and other stakeholders against compromising transit procedures, stressing that the Service would continue to enforce the law using technology, intelligence and prosecution.
“We call upon shipping agents, freight forwarders, importers, and all stakeholders in the supply chain to ensure strict compliance with transit procedures as prescribed by the Service and by law. Complacency or complicity in these schemes will not be tolerated. The few officers found to have compromised their oath of service have been, and will continue to be, subjected to the full disciplinary and legal mechanisms available to the Service and the State.”
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to facilitating legitimate trade, protecting national security and supporting the Federal Government’s economic agenda, while calling on the public to report suspicious activities to Customs authorities.
Olusola Akintonde