The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has ramped up its fight against smuggling in Adamawa State, confiscating contraband goods worth over ₦72.6 million in under two weeks.
The Comptroller of the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, Garba Bashir, disclosed this at a press briefing in Yola on Wednesday, reiterating the agency’s determination to eliminate illegal trade in the region.
“In Adamawa and Taraba States, smugglers will not have fresh air. We have started strangling them, and we will continue to strangle and suffocate them until smuggling activities are purged out of the states,” Bashir declared.
Providing details of the latest enforcement actions, Bashir highlighted that on March 8 Customs operatives intercepted a Toyota Corolla loaded with petrol at the Fufore Gurin axis, preventing an attempt to smuggle fuel into a neighboring country.
While Officers raided the Jimeta Waterside along the River Benue, uncovering 240 drums of petrol each containing 220 litres, that were set for illegal export to Cameroon, on March 13, Customs, according to him, on March 14, confiscated 425 Jerry cans of petrol , each holding 25 litres.
In total, authorities seized 70,175 litres of petrol and a smuggling vehicle significantly disrupting the illicit fuel trade in the region.
He attributed these successes to enhanced intelligence sharing, technology driven surveillance, and improved border management.
He also issued a stern warning to smugglers, urging them to abandon their illegal activities.
“The Nigeria Customs Service is out to facilitate legitimate trade and is ever ready to crack down on smuggling cartels for the nation’s economy to have fresh air,” he emphasized.
Calling for public support in the fight against smuggling, Bashir urged Nigerians to report any suspicious cross-border activities and encouraged the media to intensify awareness efforts.
“Smuggling has eaten deep into the nation’s economy and undermined our security. For a better and more prosperous Nigeria, we need the unwavering support of all Nigerians in this fight—it is not a one-man business,” he stressed.
With these latest crackdowns, the Adamawa/Taraba Customs Command has reaffirmed its commitment to securing Nigeria’s borders and protecting the country’s economic interests.