Odita Sunday 
By Odita Sunday
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has generated N9.79 billion in revenue between March and May 2026, representing a 448 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period in 2025.
The Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Abdullahi Kaila, disclosed this on Monday during a media briefing held at the Seme Area Command headquarters.
Kaila said the command generated a total of N9,798,938,969 within the review period, against N2,188,405,749 recorded during the same period in 2025.
According to him, the increase reflects improved compliance mechanisms, stronger stakeholder collaboration, enhanced anti-revenue leakage strategies and the deployment of the B’Odogwu Unified Customs Management System.
He attributed the achievement to intensified operational efficiency and the commitment of officers and men of the command.
The controller stated that the command remained committed to sustaining the momentum through intelligence-driven monitoring and transparent trade procedures without obstructing legitimate trade.
Speaking on trade facilitation, Kaila described the Seme border as one of Nigeria’s busiest and most strategic land borders under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He explained that the command had strengthened engagement with licensed customs agents, freight forwarders, transport unions, importers, exporters and other stakeholders to address operational bottlenecks and improve compliance.
Kaila also noted that officers of the command had continued to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with export documentation and regulatory guidance aimed at boosting non-oil exports.
On anti-smuggling operations, the controller disclosed that the command intercepted 1,000 parcels of Cannabis Sativa and several unregistered pharmaceutical products, including codeine syrup and sexual enhancement drugs.
He said the seized narcotics would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), while the pharmaceutical products would be transferred to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further action.
Other seized items, according to him, include 2,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 340 kegs of vegetable oil, 103 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 993 cartons of foreign spaghetti and 250 bales of used clothing.
Kaila disclosed that the Duty Paid Value of the seized items stood at N501.8 million.
He warned smugglers and their collaborators to stay away from the Seme corridor, stressing that the command had strengthened intelligence gathering, surveillance and inter-agency collaboration to tackle trans-border crimes.
The controller reaffirmed the command’s commitment to revenue generation, trade facilitation, border security and national economic development in line with the reform agenda of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
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