The Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has dismissed an online report accusing its officers of misconduct along the Seme border corridor, describing the publication as “misleading, unfounded and deliberately crafted to discredit lawful operations.”
In a statement issued on Monday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, said the claims do not reflect the realities of current security operations under the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, who assumed office in September 2025.
According to the Command, border security along the Lagos–Abidjan corridor has been significantly reinforced through renewed collaboration with the Nigerian Military and other security agencies. The reactivation of the Joint Border Security Meeting (JBSM), it noted, has enhanced intelligence-sharing and improved coordination, resulting in one of the Command’s most impactful enforcement periods in recent years.
With enforcement efforts intensified ahead of the yuletide season, the Command said it is unsurprising that criminal networks disrupted by its activities are resorting to misinformation and sensational online claims. It, however, stressed that such tactics will not deter officers from their statutory responsibilities.
Operational records released by the Command show that between September 9, 2025, and the present, officers recorded several high–impact seizures. These include more than 4,000 bags of 50kg smuggled foreign parboiled rice—equivalent to seven trailer loads—five trailer loads of expired flour, endangered wildlife species such as a lion cub and Patas monkeys, and over 2,000 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, among other contraband items.
“These seizures underscore the Command’s renewed operational drive to safeguard Nigeria’s economic and security interests,” the statement noted.
The Command also reported a significant boost in revenue collection. Monthly figures rose from a previous average of ₦500–600 million to ₦1.5 billion in September and more than ₦2.5 billion in October—an increase of over 300 percent. The surge was attributed to closing revenue leakages, strengthening border checks and improving facilitation of legitimate trade.
Reaffirming its commitment to professionalism and zero tolerance for corruption, the Seme Area Command pledged to continue protecting national security and promoting trade compliance, with the support of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the Service’s management team.
The Command urged the public to disregard false reports and rely on verified information from credible sources.
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