Customs FOU A Intercepts 15 Exotic Tokunbo Vehicles, 8 Trailers of Rice, Others Worth N1.18Billion

—Four Suspects Arrested

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service in Ikeja Lagos on Tuesday declared the seizure of fifteen tokunbo vehicles, 5,015 bags of 50kg foreign rice (equivalent to 8 trailer loads), 640 parcels of Cannabis Sativa among other assorted seizures with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦1,188,830,600.00.

Addressing journalists at the Unit’s office, Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu gave a breakdown of the other seized items to include; 460 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (about 11,500 litres); 143 bales of used clothing, 2 jumbo sacks of used shoes, and 1 sack of used clothing.

Others are; 390 bottles of Codeine, 310 foreign-branded drugs, and 19 cards of Tramadol, 210 pieces of used tyres, One 20-foot container (ONEU 2419369 FTC) containing 752 cartons of Calcium Lactate, intercepted for false declaration.

Compt Shuaibu said that the seizures happened within six weeks around South West States, including Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, and Lagos states. According to him, four defendants were arrested in connection with the operations and would be handed over to relevant authorities for further investigation and prosecution.

“In demonstrating inter-agency collaboration, the seized Cannabis Sativa and pharmaceuticals would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), respectively.

“The 2016 federal government fiscal policy that bans the importation of foreign parboiled rice through land borders is still enforced. Some selfish and unpatriotic individuals who continue to defy this restriction would face the consequences, our men will continue to inflict heavy losses on their ill-fated mission.”

“These seizures reaffirmed the operational capability of the unit and underscore our resolve to continuously confront economic saboteurs who threaten national security and undermine federal government policies.”

He also disclosed that from 1st September to 7th October 2025, the unit recovered ₦39,269,688.71 through the issuance of demand notices and enforcement against under-valuations.

While maintaining strong enforcement, Shuaibu assured that the unit also remained committed to facilitating legitimate trade and ensuring that lawful businesses operate without unnecessary hindrance.