The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 56 containers of prohibited and improperly declared goods with a total duty-paid value of N5.53 billion at the Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Rivers State.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, while briefing journalists at the command.
Adeniyi said the seizures were part of intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at preventing prohibited, restricted and improperly declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market.
He said unchecked importation of goods that could be produced or processed locally exposes Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and businesses to unfair competition, weakens demand for locally made products and discourages investment.
According to him, the impact is particularly significant in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, where excessive imports could undermine efforts to promote local industries, strengthen food security, create jobs and diversify the economy.
“The intervention formed part of intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at preventing prohibited, restricted and improperly declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market, thereby crippling the overall productivity of our local businesses,” Adeniyi said.
The CGC stressed that Customs enforcement was not intended to frustrate legitimate businesses but to maintain a fair and predictable trading environment for compliant operators.
He commended the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, and officers of the Port Harcourt II Area Command for the interceptions.
The seized consignments comprised 45 20-foot containers of foreign vegetable oil, nine 40-foot containers of used clothing and two 20-foot containers of Channy tomato paste.
Adeniyi advised importers and other stakeholders to verify the admissibility of their intended imports before commencing transactions and ensure accurate declarations of the description, quantity, value, origin and classification of goods.
He said the seizures were in line with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives, particularly policies aimed at promoting local production and strengthening made-in-Nigeria products.
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