The Adamawa/Taraba Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its anti-smuggling operations, intercepting contraband goods valued at ₦112,590,000 during a six-week enforcement exercise across major border routes in the region.
Addressing journalists at a press conference held at the Customs House, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Garba Bashir, said the seizures were made through intelligence-driven patrols targeting high-risk smuggling corridors.
According to him, the Command made 29 seizures along key routes, including the Mubi–Sahuda axis, Girei–Wuro Bokki, Jamtari–Farang/Belel, Wuro Alhaji, Damare Bank, Gurin–Fufore, and Yerima Road in Gembu.
The intercepted items included 20,600 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) packed in 824 jerrycans, 91 cartons of expired Tramadol capsules, 54 cartons of foreign soaps, and 64 pieces of raw donkey skins intended for illegal exportation.
Comptroller Bashir disclosed that the expired Tramadol capsules were seized on August 30, 2025, in Mubi following credible intelligence and coordinated enforcement.
“If these expired Tramadol capsules had found their way into circulation, they could have caused widespread harm, human capital deterioration, and increased youth addiction,”
he warned.
He added that the drugs would be handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for safe destruction, in line with Section 55 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
On the interception of 64 raw donkey skins, Comptroller Bashir explained that the items were confiscated on September 30, 2025, at the Damare River Bank, where smugglers had concealed them in sacks awaiting transportation into Cameroon under the cover of darkness.
He noted that the trade violates Schedule 6 (Export Prohibition List) of the Common External Tariff (CET) and Section 150 of the NCS Act 2023.
“The seizure represents the slaughter of 64 donkeys. If this illicit trade continues unchecked, the species risks extinction,”
he said, linking the trade to rising international demand, particularly from Asia.
Similarly, the Command seized 54 cartons of foreign soap along the Damare River Bank on October 3, 2025, at about 10:00 p.m., noting that the importation contravenes Schedule 3 of the CET (2022–2026) and Section 233 of the NCS Act 2023.
Comptroller Bashir disclosed that the seized PMS would be auctioned to the public in accordance with the Service’s Standard Operating Procedure, with proceeds remitted into the Federation Account.
He emphasized the Command’s continued engagement with border communities to discourage smuggling, adding that cooperation with sister security agencies had significantly enhanced operational success.
The Comptroller commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, for his leadership and support in empowering officers at the frontline. He also appreciated the media for their balanced reporting and urged continued collaboration in sensitizing the public on the dangers of smuggling.
“Let me state unequivocally that the Command will not relent in the fight against illicit trade until smuggling networks in Adamawa and Taraba States are completely dismantled,”
Bashir declared.
He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to revenue generation, national security, and trade facilitation, assuring that the Service will remain vigilant in protecting Nigeria’s borders.