By Hyacinth Nwafor
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Friday paraded a suspected drug cartel following the interception of a large consignment of cocaine valued at about ₦1 billion along the Badagry–Seme axis of Lagos State, marking one of the Service’s most significant enforcement breakthroughs this year.
Briefing journalists at the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Lagos, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, was represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Timi Bomodi, alongside other senior Customs officers and officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Bomodi disclosed that the seizure was carried out in the early hours of Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at about 3:00 a.m., when vigilant operatives of the Seme Area Command intercepted a Toyota Highlander conveying 22 packages of substances suspected to be cocaine.
He said the illicit drugs, weighing 25 kilograms, were concealed in the vehicle and would have fetched an estimated ₦1 billion on the streets, noting that one suspect, 45-year-old Adedenira Aliyu, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
According to Customs, the successful interception was intelligence-driven and executed swiftly under the leadership of the Comptroller of Seme Area Command, Wale Adenuga, a development the Service described as a testament to the professionalism and alertness of its officers.
Bomodi explained that the operation was firmly anchored on the provisions of Section 55(1)(c) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, which empowers the Service to enforce prohibitions and restrictions aimed at protecting public health and national security from threats such as narcotics trafficking.
In line with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act and the existing Memorandum of Understanding between both agencies, the suspected cocaine, the vehicle used for conveyance and the arrested suspect were formally handed over to the NDLEA Lagos Strategic Command in Ikoyi.
He noted that the seamless handover underscored the growing synergy between Customs and NDLEA, stressing that intelligence sharing and coordinated operations remained critical to dismantling cross-border drug trafficking networks.
Addressing concerns about officer safety, DCG Timi Bomodi assured Nigerians that the NCS had stepped up measures to protect its personnel, including the provision of protective vests, arms and operational vehicles, while also investing in schools and hospitals in border communities, with the NCS hospital in Seme serving over 80 communities, including residents from neighbouring Benin Republic.
Speaking at the handover, the Commander of the NDLEA Lagos Strategic Command, ACG Abubakar Liman Wali commended the NCS for the seizure, assuring that the suspect and exhibits would undergo thorough investigation and forensic analysis, as both agencies reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding the nation from the devastating effects of illicit drug trafficking.