Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Kano/Jigawa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service generated N88.93bn in revenue between January and September 2026 while intercepting and detaining smuggled goods with a combined Duty Paid Value of N2.16bn.
The Acting Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller UU Adamu, disclosed the figures on Friday during a press briefing at the Customs House in Bompai, Kano, where he reviewed the command’s operations and revenue performance.
Adamu said the command collected N63.08bn during the first six months of 2026 before increasing its year-to-date revenue to N88.93bn.
“You may wish to recall that during our half-year press briefing, the Command generated the sum of 63,078,655,523.44 billion Naira in revenue,” he said.
July produced the command’s highest monthly revenue collection since its establishment, with more than N14bn generated during the month.
“It is therefore important to note that the month of July recorded the highest monthly collection in the history of the Command with over 14 billion Naira generated,” the controller said.
Among the items intercepted were 1,491 cartons of foreign spaghetti valued at N38.74m, 2,928 packs of foreign macaroni worth N280.73m, foreign parboiled rice, vegetable oil, soaps, smuggled vehicles and suspected diverted transit truck heads.
The command also seized five 40-foot diverted transit containers valued at N645.16m, seven smuggled vehicles with a DPV of N410.54m and eight suspected diverted transit truck heads valued at N300.91m.
Adamu disclosed that Customs intercepted unregistered pharmaceutical products consisting of 712,690 tablets and 17,470 vials and ampoules. The drugs were handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for further action.
In a major wildlife trafficking interception, Customs officers on August 25 recovered 48 animals comprising 15 primates, four wild cats, 25 wild birds, two albino crocodiles and a honey badger. Three suspects were arrested and transferred to the Special Wildlife Office at Customs headquarters.
“At this point, it is important to note that this is believed to be the largest and most diverse single seizure of wildlife ever recorded in the history of the Nigeria Customs Service and probably the West African Sub Region,” Adamu said.
The command also intercepted undeclared foreign currencies consisting of $73,300, £15,975 and Saudi Arabian riyals valued at SAR827,800. Two suspects were handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Kano Zonal Directorate, for investigation.
Adamu further said officers arrested two suspects in possession of 993.9 metres of vandalised 150-square-millimetre high-voltage aluminium conductors and seized 6,072 counterfeit agro-packaging materials.
He warned that some smuggled vehicles had been fitted with Government Service official number plates to evade Customs checks.
“Some intercepted smuggled vehicles have been found with Government Service official plate numbers in an attempt to evade Customs control,” he said.
The Acting Controller urged legitimate traders to comply with customs and fiscal regulations, assuring that the command would continue to balance enforcement with trade facilitation.
“For those engaged in legitimate trade, our message is clear: compliance remains the most effective way of conducting business without unnecessary interruption,” Adamu said.
