At Tin Can Island Port, Nigeria’s Customs Service Scores Two Major Wins Against Guns and Drugs

_Intelligence-led interdictions signal a shift from random checks to data-driven enforcement_

By Lod Onyeji 

LAGOS — On a humid evening at the Tin Can Island Port, Nigeria’s second-largest container terminal, officers of the Nigeria Customs Service paraded the evidence of two separate interdictions that officials say could have armed criminals and flooded communities with narcotics.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, *Dr. BA Adeniyi, MFR,* told Journalists that the seizures, made within three consecutive weeks, reflect a deliberate pivot toward intelligence-led operations at the nation’s ports.

“These operations underscore our unwavering commitment to protecting Nigeria's borders from prohibited imports that threaten national security and public health,” Adeniyi said during the press briefing.

The Gun Parts: A Container Under Watch was unaware of the vigilance of the gallant Customs Officers under the leadership of Comptroller Joe Anani, the CAC, in charge of the Command.

The first case began on July 8, 2026, when Container No. TEMU 184536/9 arrived aboard the vessel _MV VELIKA_. The container was flagged by the Service’s risk management system for “enhanced monitoring.”

Acting on credible intelligence, Customs officers placed it under surveillance and later moved it to the Enforcement Station for a physical examination. Inside, they found crates concealing knocked-down components preliminarily identified as JoJeff pump-action rifles. A technical inventory is ongoing to determine the exact number and configuration.

The investigation did not stop at the wharf. On July 31, officers arrested a suspect at Migfo Bonded Terminal while he attempted to facilitate the container’s release. According to Customs, financial records and call data linked him to the consignee, including a ₦10,000 transfer from a company account tied to the importer on the day of his arrest. 

Two suspects are now in custody. A third, described by the CGC as Principal Suspect,” remains at large.

The Narcotics: Cannabis Cookies and Gummies in Plain Sight

In a separate operation, Customs intercepted two 40-foot containers declared to contain used vehicles, generators, batteries and industrial fabric. A physical examination revealed a different cargo hidden within.

Officers recovered:

- 109 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused pre-roll cookies: 8,720 pieces weighing 17.44kg, with an estimated street value of ₦308,792,640

- 125 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused gummies: 740 packs weighing 515.2kg, valued at ₦40,700,000

The total estimated value of the drug seizure is ₦349,492,640. Delta-8 THC products are not approved for import into Nigeria and fall under the NDLEA’s controlled substances list.

Customs officials said the concealment method — mixing illicit goods with legitimate imports — is becoming more common and requires closer scrutiny at entry points.

What This Means for Port Security is that extra vigilance is seriously required.

Tin Can Island handles roughly one-third of Nigeria’s container traffic. For years, analysts have argued that the port’s volume made it vulnerable to both arms smuggling and drug trafficking.

The latest interdictions, Adeniyi noted, were not random. They were triggered by data analytics, targeted surveillance, and inter-agency intelligence sharing — a model the Service is scaling across all commands.

The CGC used the briefing to call for public cooperation. “We encourage members of the public to continue providing credible intelligence to support our efforts against smuggling and transnational organised crime,” he said.

Prosecutions are expected to commence once technical examinations and investigations are concluded. The Service says it will provide updates as the cases progress.

For a country grappling with insecurity and a growing drug abuse crisis, the Tin Can seizures offer a case study in how enforcement, when paired with data, can intercept threats before they reach the streets.

_The Nigeria Customs Service has reiterated its commitment to trade facilitation alongside enforcement and says compliant importers will experience faster clearance times as risk profiling improves._