Comptroller Otunla Reaffirms Customs’ Border Security Drive in Ogun State
…Handover Seized Arms, 1,037 Parcels of Cannabis to Police, NDLEA
Author: Abass Quadri.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Ogun I Area Command, Comptroller Godwin Otunla, has reaffirmed the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) unwavering commitment to tackling threats to Nigeria’s economic and national security.
He made this known during a press briefing on Wednesday, 18 June 2025, at the Command’s headquarters in Idiroko.
Highlighting progress since assuming office on 24 April 2025, Otunla stated,
“We intensified surveillance, deployed strategic intelligence, and strengthened collaboration with security agencies and community stakeholders to enhance border operations. These deliberate efforts have yielded remarkable results.”
He disclosed that operatives of the Command had intercepted and seized significant quantities of prohibited items, including: 1,037 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, 2 units of Dane guns, 88 rounds of live cartridges, 13,125 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 2,627 bags (50kg each) of foreign parboiled rice, 4 foreign-used vehicles, 7 means of conveyance and 29 used pneumatic tyres. The total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seizures stands at ₦344,853,244.
According to Comptroller Otunla, the seizures were made across key locations in Ogun State, including Lusada/Afo-Odo, Abule Kazeem/Igbo-Ora, Abeokuta, Imeko, Idiroko/Owode, and Ipokia. This underscores the Command’s zero-tolerance approach to economic sabotage.
On revenue generation, he stated that the Command recorded ₦42,279,240 in May, a sharp increase from ₦10,621,250 in April 2025. Comptroller Otunla attributed this improvement to heightened compliance, the plugging of revenue leakages, and enhanced trade facilitation.
In line with inter-agency cooperation, seized items, including Cannabis Sativa, arms, ammunition, and explosives, were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Police.
Receiving the items, both agencies commended the Service for its resilience in securing the nation’s borders. Commander of Narcotics, Ogun State, Ekunlayo Williams, described the handover as a testament to the strong operational synergy between the Customs and the NDLEA.
“It’s also a warning to transborder traffickers. If NDLEA misses you, Customs will. It’s no longer business as usual,” he warned.
The Ogun I Command reiterated its commitment to sustaining enforcement momentum through intelligence-led operations and continued collaboration with relevant agencies to secure Nigeria’s borders.
