By Seun Ibiyemi
The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has intercepted 56 containers loaded with prohibited goods with a total duty paid value of N5.53 billion at the Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Rivers State.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, while briefing journalists at the command.
Adeniyi said the seizure was part of intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at preventing prohibited, restricted and improperly declared goods from entering the Nigerian market.
He said unchecked importation of goods that could be produced or processed locally could expose Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and other domestic producers to unfair competition and weaken demand for locally made products.
“The intervention formed part of intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at preventing prohibited, restricted and improperly declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market, thereby crippling the overall productivity of our local businesses,” he said.
According to the Customs boss, the economic consequences of such imports were particularly significant for the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
He said large-scale importation of products that Nigeria could produce or process locally could undermine government efforts to promote domestic industries, strengthen food security, create jobs and diversify the economy.
“The economic impact is especially significant in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Large-scale importation of products that Nigeria can produce or process may undermine the Federal Government’s efforts to promote local industries, strengthen food security, create jobs, and diversify the economy,” Adeniyi said.
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He stressed that Customs enforcement was not intended to frustrate legitimate businesses, but to create a fair, secure and predictable trading environment for compliant businesses.
Adeniyi said the Service’s risk-based approach allowed it to facilitate legitimate cargo while subjecting high-risk consignments to enhanced scrutiny.
The seized consignments comprised 45 20-foot containers of foreign vegetable oil, nine 40-foot containers of used clothing and two 20-foot containers of Channy tomato paste.
The Comptroller-General said the interception and confiscation of the goods aligned with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives, particularly policies promoting made-in-Nigeria products.
He commended the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, and officers of the Port Harcourt II Area Command for the seizures.
Adeniyi also advised importers and other stakeholders to establish the admissibility of their intended imports before commencing transactions.
He urged importers to make accurate declarations regarding the description, quantity, value, origin and classification of goods to avoid enforcement actions.
