The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Idiroko Area Command, has intensified border enforcement across Ogun State, adopting intelligence-led operations aimed at strengthening national security, public health and electoral stability.
Barely six weeks into his tenure, the Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, has shifted the command’s strategy from routine patrols to sustained surveillance across key border communities, including Imeko and Ipokia, long regarded as transit points for contraband.
Findings indicate that several smuggling networks operate from neighbouring Benin Republic, using Nigeria as a corridor for narcotics, arms and ammunition, used vehicles, foreign parboiled rice and second-hand clothing.
Customs authorities say recent operations have disrupted established smuggling routes and reduced their predictability.
A major focus of the renewed clampdown is narcotics trafficking. Although primary responsibility for drug control lies with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Idiroko Command has recorded significant seizures in recent weeks, highlighting both the scale of trafficking and operational gaps at the border.
In January, the command intercepted more than 4,260 parcels of cannabis sativa and cannabis indica, compared with about 2,700 bags of foreign parboiled rice seized within the same period.
Officials say the figures suggest a growing shift towards drug trafficking, driven by high profit margins, ease of concealment and rising local demand, particularly among young people.
Afeni said the prioritisation of narcotics enforcement reflects the broader security risks associated with drug trafficking, noting its links to wider criminal activity.
He added that heightened vigilance is also informed by political developments in neighbouring Benin Republic and Nigeria’s forthcoming elections, with increased screening aimed at preventing the entry of arms and ammunition disguised as legitimate imports.
NDLEA officials attributed the higher seizure figures by Customs to wider jurisdictional coverage across Ogun State, compared with the agency’s limited presence at specific border points. Both agencies, however, continue to collaborate in addressing cross-border crime.
The Customs command said enforcement operations would remain sustained, backed by directives from the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
Authorities also plan expanded engagement with border communities and traditional institutions to raise awareness of the economic and social consequences of smuggling, alongside strengthened corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Security vigilance has consequently intensified across Ogun’s border corridor, as enforcement agencies seek to close longstanding smuggling routes.
