Customs FOU ‘A’ Intercepts 23,220 Matchets, 3,407kg of Cannabis As 2027 Elections Approaches
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, has seized 23,220 pieces of new matchets suspected to be meant for disrupting the 2027 general election, along with 5,986 parcels of cannabis sativa and indica weighing 3,407.83 kilogrammes.
The seized items, together with other prohibited and restricted goods, have a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N6.19 billion.
The Acting Controller of the unit, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, announced this on Tuesday at his maiden press briefing at the unit’s headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.
He said the seizures were made within four weeks of intensified enforcement, during which the unit foiled 195 attempts to smuggle prohibited and restricted goods.
Afeni raised concern over the importation of the matchets without the required certificates and permits, warning that they could easily be used to undermine the general elections in the coming months.
According to him, election violence is rarely an isolated incident and can be facilitated by smuggling, including the illegal movement of potentially dangerous items across the country’s borders.
He added that the interceptions were part of a renewed operational strategy built on intelligence-driven enforcement, improved surveillance, risk-based examination and stronger collaboration with relevant government agencies.
“Bringing in 23,220 matchets at this time raise suspicion. The bad guys are always there to cause havoc so we have also developed a very robust synergy with our sister agencies because intelligence that led to the interception came from one of our sister agencies.
“What we know is that the bad guys always exploit gaps and that is why all agencies of government are closing ranks to ensure that the country is rid off crime and criminality as we approach the 2027 election, ” he said.
Other seizures included imported rice made up of 3,028 bags of 50kg, 995 bags of 25kg, 104 bags of 20kg and 207 bags of 5kg; 173 cartons of imported frozen poultry products; 6,949 cartons of smuggled spaghetti; 459 bales and 39 jumbo sacks of second-hand clothing; and 1,236 used tyres.
The unit also seized 33 used rims, 8,025 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 57 cartons, 37 packs and six pieces of codeine syrup, 20 cartons of couscous, 101 bags of imported sugar, eight bags of powdered milk, 12 bags of grain oat products and 400 grammes of cocaine.
Further items were 100 grammes of methamphetamine, eight live pangolins, 1,250 rounds of 12-calibre cartridges, 250 cartons of Lotus sardines without NAFDAC numbers, 21 foreign-used vehicles and 11 means of conveyance.
In addition, the unit intercepted a 40-foot container holding 2,760 pieces of office chairs in Completely Knocked Down (CKD) form.
Afeni said the seizures were more than enforcement statistics, as they represented revenue recovered for the government, protection for local industries and lives saved from dangerous and substandard products.
He expressed particular concern over the volume of cannabis intercepted, citing the 2025 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which identified cannabis as the most widely available and used drug globally.
He warned that increasingly potent strains, including the variety popularly marketed as Colorado, posed serious threats to young people, families and public health.
On revenue, the Acting Controller said the unit recovered N683.66 million between September 30, 2026, and November 3, 2026, through stronger compliance checks, scrutiny of import declarations, correction of under-valuations and issuance of demand notices.
He credited the results to enhanced risk profiling, targeted examination of questionable declarations, teamwork and collaboration with sister agencies and other stakeholders.
Afeni assured importers, licensed customs agents and the trading public that the unit would continue to facilitate legitimate trade while taking firm action against duty evasion, false declarations and activities capable of undermining national security.
He said the unit had sustained collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Army, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other relevant agencies.
The seized narcotics and suspects have been handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution, while other prohibited items will be transferred to the relevant agencies in line with their statutory responsibilities.
