Customs Intercepts 56 Containers of Prohibited Goods Worth N5.53bn at Onne Port

Customs Intercepts 56 Containers of Prohibited Goods Worth N5.53bn at Onne Port

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 56 containers containing 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 on the seizures, stressing that the intervention was part of the Service’s intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at protecting local production and businesses.

Adeniyi said the seizures were necessary to prevent prohibited, restricted and falsely declared consignments from gaining access to the Nigerian market and undermining domestic productivity.

According to him, unchecked importation of goods that can be produced or processed locally puts Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and other domestic producers under undue pressure by exposing them to unfair competition, weakening demand for locally made products and discouraging investment in domestic value chains.

He said the impact was particularly significant in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, where large-scale importation of products that could be produced locally could undermine efforts to strengthen food security, create jobs, promote local industries and diversify the Nigerian 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 Comptroller-General stressed that Customs enforcement was not intended to frustrate legitimate businesses, but to ensure a fair, secure and predictable trading environment for compliant businesses and Nigerians.

He explained that the Service’s risk-based approach allowed legitimate cargo to be facilitated while consignments identified as high-risk were subjected to enhanced scrutiny.

Giving details of the seizures, Adeniyi said the intercepted 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.

He said the confiscation of the consignments was in line with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives, particularly policies aimed at encouraging local production and promoting made-in-Nigeria goods.

Adeniyi commended the Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt II Area Command, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, and officers of the command for their vigilance and effective enforcement efforts.

He also advised importers and other stakeholders to ascertain the admissibility of goods before commencing import transactions.

The CGC urged importers to make accurate declarations regarding the description, quantity, value, origin and classification of their consignments, warning that deliberate false declarations and attempts to circumvent import restrictions would attract appropriate enforcement action.

He reiterated the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to supporting legitimate trade while protecting Nigerian farmers, manufacturers and businesses from unfair competition and illicit imports.