Customs Seizes 16 Containers of Arms, Ammunition, Banned Pharmaceuticals at Apapa Port
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted and handed over 16 containers laden with arms, ammunition, expired drugs, prohibited pharmaceuticals, and other contraband at the Apapa Command in Lagos, in what Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi described as a decisive blow against “merchants of death” attempting to undermine national security and public health.
Speaking during the handover ceremony on Monday, CGC Adeniyi revealed that the seizures were the result of coordinated anti-smuggling operations backed by intelligence and strengthened inter-agency collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and other security partners.
“These smuggled items have a harmful effect on the health and well-being of unsuspecting Nigerians and contribute to insecurity in the country,” Adeniyi said. “We are resolute in ensuring that Nigeria’s entry points are not used for these unlawful acts.”
The intercepted containers included: three containers of expired margarine, three containers of used clothes, five containers carrying expired drugs, prohibited medicaments, and Colorado hemp, two containers (1x40ft and 1x20ft) containing 2,401 cartons of codeine syrup, two containers carrying 1,290 sacks each of frozen chicken breast.
Other seized items included: one container (ZCSU 7277511) with 305 cartons of unregistered toothpaste, cartons of slippers concealed in 46 cartons of beads, and 40 cartons of jalabiyas, one container (MRKU 3738603) with 1,100 cartons of expired chest and lung tablets without NAFDAC numbers, a 1x20ft container with 540 cartons of expired feed and cyproheptadine tablets without NAFDAC registration.
In one high-profile case, a joint examination with the NDLEA on 24 July 2025 uncovered 202 cans of Colorado Loud cannabis (101 kg) concealed in a container declared as vehicles.
The search also revealed two pump-action rifles, 25 cartridges, a Smith & Wesson pistol with 55 rounds, and other accessories. The container’s manifest falsely listed its contents as three Toyota Siennas and one Toyota Camry.
Two suspects — freight agent Modi Azuka and Lisa Akpedeme — have been arrested in connection with the Canadian cannabis and firearms shipment. Another two suspects linked to the poultry smuggling case are also in custody.
Adeniyi confirmed that the NDLEA and the Department of State Services (DSS) will take over investigations and prosecutions for the arms, ammunition, and drug-related cases, while NAFDAC will handle the poultry and unregistered pharmaceutical offences.
The Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items stands at N10,273,694,595.
Reaffirming the NCS’ zero-tolerance stance, Adeniyi warned that smugglers and their collaborators would be relentlessly pursued and prosecuted.
“For us, this is a full-scale resistance operation,” he stated. “We will run them out of business and into jail. Criminal elements who think they can turn Nigeria into a hub for destructive substances will always have our operatives to contend with.”
This latest operation follows similar seizures in recent weeks at Apapa and Onne ports, underscoring the NCS’s sustained offensive against illicit trade.
