The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 22 wraps of suspected cocaine weighing 25 kilograms and valued at N1bn, as it also announced plans to commence paperless operations before the end of the second quarter of 2026.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the seizure on Friday while parading the suspect and the contraband at the Federal Operations Unit Zone A in Ikeja, Lagos. Represented by the Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Enforcement, Timi Bomodi, Adeniyi said the drugs were intercepted along the Badagry Seme axis in Lagos State.
According to him, operatives of the Seme Area Command intercepted a Toyota Highlander vehicle conveying 22 packages of substances suspected to be cocaine in the early hours of February 10, 2026. One suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure, which he said was based on actionable intelligence.
Adeniyi noted that the operation aligns with Section 55 1 c of the NCS Act 2023 and reinforces the service’s mandate to safeguard Nigeria’s borders against narcotics trafficking. He added that the suspected cocaine, the vehicle, and the suspect had been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in line with existing inter agency collaboration.
Receiving the items, the Commander of NDLEA Lagos Strategic Command, Abubakar Liman Wali, said the drugs have a street value of N40m per kilogram and assured that thorough investigation and forensic analysis would follow.
Meanwhile, Adeniyi also launched the One Stop Shop initiative in Lagos, describing it as a unified framework to centralise risk interventions within a coordinated digital and physical environment. He said the first phase of the transition to a fully paperless customs system covering clearance, documentation, and approvals will be rolled out by the end of Q2 2026.
He explained that the initiative aims to reduce physical interfaces, enhance data integrity, speed up cargo processing, and strengthen audit controls, ultimately improving Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
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