The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘D’, Bauchi, of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted smuggled goods with a duty paid value of ₦82.1 million within a two-week period.
The Zone Comptroller, Abdullahi Kaila, disclosed this on Friday during a media briefing in Bauchi, noting that the seizures were made between December 8 and 19, 2025, by officers of the unit’s anti-smuggling team.
Kaila said the FOU is responsible for enforcing customs laws, implementing government fiscal policies and suppressing smuggling activities across nine states—Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa.
He recalled that upon assuming duty two weeks earlier, he declared zero tolerance for smuggling in the zone, adding that the recent seizures demonstrated the unit’s resolve to back its words with action.
Items seized during the period include 15,100 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 34 bales and six sacks of second-hand clothing, 150 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 80 sacks of used shoes, 390 jerrycans of vegetable oil and 20 cartons of foreign washing soap.
“The cumulative duty paid value of all the seized items stands at Eighty-Two Million, One Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty-Seven Naira (₦82,114,567),” Kaila said.
He attributed the relatively low incidence of smuggling recorded during the period—especially in wildlife products, controlled drugs, narcotics and PMS—to intensified patrols, intelligence-driven operations and the professionalism of officers of the unit.
The comptroller explained that the operations were conducted in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, particularly Sections 226 and 245. He added that anti-smuggling efforts had been strengthened through collaboration with other security and regulatory agencies, enhancing intelligence sharing and joint operations.
Kaila urged traders to conduct their businesses within the confines of the law, warning that smugglers would face strict enforcement. He also said the unit would intensify public sensitisation through media engagement and community outreach to highlight the economic impact of smuggling and encourage the public to report illegal activities.
He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the management team for their support, as well as officers and men of the unit for their dedication. He also appreciated the media for keeping the public informed.
Kaila reaffirmed the unit’s commitment to border security, national development and the Nigeria Customs Service’s mandate to support economic growth.
