The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Seme Command has reported a dramatic 300 per cent increase in revenue collections following intensified anti-smuggling operations along the Lagos–Abidjan corridor, coupled with major seizures of contraband goods since September.

Area Controller Comptroller Wale Adenuga disclosed that monthly collections rose from an average of ₦500–600 million to ₦1.5 billion in September and surpassed ₦2.5 billion in October. He attributed the surge to blocked leakages, stricter enforcement, and smoother facilitation of legitimate trade.

Since assuming office on September 9, Adenuga said the command has intercepted over 4,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice (equivalent to seven trailer loads), five trailer loads of expired flour, endangered wildlife including a lion cub and Patas monkeys, and more than 2,000 parcels of Cannabis Sativa.

He credited the success to reactivated Joint Border Security Meetings and closer collaboration with the Nigerian military and other agencies. Adenuga dismissed recent allegations of officer misconduct as “deliberate misinformation” spread by smugglers frustrated by the crackdown, stressing that the command maintains zero tolerance for corruption.

The intensified enforcement comes as the federal government pushes to curb smuggling and boost non-oil revenue. With Seme recognized as one of Nigeria’s highest-revenue land borders, the command’s performance underscores its role as a frontline in the fight against illicit trade.