Customs intercepts smuggled goods worth N721.9m in Sokoto, Zamfara

The Nigeria Customs Service, Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command, has intercepted smuggled goods with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦721.9 million, including 599 bales of second-hand clothes, cigarettes, and unregistered pharmaceutical products.

The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Haliru Isah Abdullahi, disclosed this during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Sokoto on Thursday, October 15, 2026.

Abdullahi said the seizures followed intensified anti-smuggling operations aimed at securing Nigeria’s borders, protecting the economy, and preventing the circulation of unregistered drugs.

He added that the command had sustained its operations despite security challenges in some parts of Sokoto and Zamfara states.

Items intercepted included a used DAF truck with registration number JEG 199 XA, 599 bales of second-hand clothes, seven sacks of second-hand women’s bags, 43 cartons of cigarettes and seven cartons of Akouna coffee.

The pharmaceutical products seized comprised 100 packages of quinine, 500 packages of amodiaquine, 140 packages of paracetamol, 300 packages of anti-cold medication, a carton of analgesic injections, two cartons of Dynewell syrup, one carton of Dynewell tablets and one carton of Clear Cold.

According to the controller, the total value of the seized goods was ₦721,957,021.41.

He said the seizures were made in accordance with Sections 245 and 248 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, which empower the service to seize and condemn goods liable to forfeiture.

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Abdullahi urged Nigerians to provide credible information to help the service combat smuggling and other illegal cross-border activities.

He warned that the circulation and use of unregistered pharmaceutical products posed serious public health risks, adding that efforts to curb smuggling would also strengthen the national economy.

The acting controller cautioned smugglers and their collaborators to abandon the illegal trade, stressing that the command would not provide a safe haven for them.

“No matter their antics, we will continue to be a step ahead of them. The Sokoto/Zamfara Command under my watch will not be a safe haven for smugglers,” he said.

Abdullahi also commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, officers and personnel of the command, and other security agencies for their contributions to the anti-smuggling campaign.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to facilitating legitimate trade, generating revenue for national development and reducing smuggling to the barest minimum.