How Enhanced Customs Trade Facilitation Is Combating Smuggling at the Seme Border

Experts and analysts in the maritime and security sectors have examined trading activities in Nigeria’s border stations, which are porous. They have concluded that, absent significant action, criminals and economic saboteurs will continue to exploit the porosity and other unapproved routes to cause havoc against Nigerians and the country’s economy.

Criminals actually attempt to sabotage the country’s economy by smuggling illegal commodities and other items into and out of the country. While some attempt to underpay for dutiable items and avoid paying duties, they are also trying to shortchange the government.

Evidence of people trafficking is not implausible throughout the nation’s porous borders, even in the face of criminal tendencies.

Other than adopting new technologies to secure the borders and environment, some analysts believe that the country cannot do much about the porous borders and criminal activities occurring there in the near future.

First and foremost, analysts say, one must recognize that Nigeria is bounded on one side by Cameroon and the Benin Republic. Francophone nations comprise all of these nations. Through Niger and others in the North.

Notably, commerce between the majority of these nations and Nigeria is not as seamless as it should be.

This is because some commodities that are forbidden from entering Nigeria and its ports are permitted there; smugglers use this to bring those goods into Nigeria.

For example, Nigerian land borders prohibit the entry of goods like rice.

The Benin Republic permits that, nevertheless. Because of their close closeness, they aim to smuggle rice into Nigeria over the land boundaries.

In addition, there are numerous border spaces when one looks at the layout of Nigeria’s borders. According to an analyst, this shows that “even when all the security agencies are placed along the border, to man the lands, and across a single line, they won’t be able to monitor all the border spaces at a go.”

When assuming the role of Customs Area Controller (CAC) at the Customs Service (NCS) Seme Border Command, Comptroller Ben Oramalugo, PhD, must have been thinking about all of these difficulties.

With a number of successes in trade facilitation and anti-smuggling, Oramalugo has sent a warning to economic saboteurs who continue to engage in illegal trade along the corridor using unapproved routes: either stop or face consequences because his agents are not giving up on their mission to ensure that the criminals and economic saboteurs are apprehended.

The Customs chief not only arrested them but also threatened to seize their illegally obtained products. They would also continue to count their losses while meeting with the appropriate courts.

As a matter of fact, the NCS, Seme border area command recently declared that it has stepped up its efforts to combat economic saboteurs who are determined to smuggle illegal commodities and other illicit things that are not allowed to enter the country through borders.

The Command revealed that after this assault, it stopped and confiscated 898 packages of Cannabis Sativa, also referred to as Indian hemp, from hard drug traffickers.

The Command also revealed that between July 1 and July 19, 2025, it stopped and sized five trucks that were transporting 2,800 bags of 50 kg foreign rice, totaling N919.5 million in duty-paid value.

In addition, the command seized 1,319 more bags of rice during the time under review, according to Customs Area Controller (CAC) Oramalugo PhD, who made this revelation at a press briefing in Lagos.

The Seme Area Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) received the confiscated Cannabis Sativa from Idris Ibrahim Mohamed, the NDLEA Commandant in-charge of the Agency’s Seme Border Command.

The seizures were credited by Dr. Oramalugo to reliable intelligence obtained by his Command’s agents along the Lagos-Abidjan route.

The five trucks were stopped with 250 bales of used clothes and 2,800 bags of grains, he said.

He added that the command seized 40 bags of sugar, 64 bags of wheat, and 50 cartons of tomato ketchup amid other seizures that took place between June 14 and June 30, 2025.

One boat with an engine, twenty bales of old clothing, and four bales of used shoes were also captured and taken by the Command’s agents.

N1,268,794,474 was the total Duty Paid Value (DPV) for all seizures, according to the Customs boss.

The CAC stated that the results were a result of the Seme Command’s officers and men’s dedication and diligence, with assistance from the Nigerian military and other organizations.

The Federal Government’s restriction on rice imports through land borders was reaffirmed by him in an effort to help local producers and lessen Nigerians’ reliance on importing and consuming foreign rice.

With an annual production of almost 8 million metric tonnes, Nigeria surpasses Egypt and Tanzania as Africa’s largest producer of rice, he stated.

But he added, “our rice mills still struggle because they don’t get enough business, which makes it hard for them to run at their best.”

The CAC said that at that time, the command enabled trade and the transportation of 1,837 trucks, or more than 116,723.26MT of commodities produced in Nigeria.

Additionally, the Free On Board (FOB) value of these exports was N22,368,388,976.10k. At N111,841,944.87K, the National Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) fees were the only amount.

He said that N1,593,676,123.26 was made by the Command between May and July of 2025.

He regretted that smuggling was being practiced by some people, which was impeding Nigeria’s economic development.

He cautioned that any kind of illegal trading or smuggling within Seme Command’s borders would not be accepted.

When media questioned the CAC, he responded, “I’m telling Nigerians that we are on top of our work.” We are informing the Nigerian people that their rice mills would keep expanding and that they will continue to receive business. Nigeria should be encouraged to produce the rice and to be bought by Nigerians. Moreover, we like to inform them that smugglers and smuggling do not reside in Seme.

Read Also: FIFA Sets Date and Location for 2026 World Cup Draw

“We’re ensuring that money reaches the Federal Government here and that Nigeria doesn’t import uncustomed goods.” They even once asserted that rice was killing people and that it was entering through the Seme border. That is untrue. The propaganda is meant to damage our reputation. Their words are motivated by jealousy. As we carry out our duties, the CGC and his management team support us in doing so. I should execute my duty without fear or favor since the CG is behind me, he informed me.

The CAC insisted that the trucks and their contents had been confiscated in compliance with the law when asked if the drivers of the trucks that were captured carrying illicit rice had been arrested. They said that when operatives closed in on them, the drivers ran into the bush and abandoned their vehicles.

Greed has continued to drive smugglers into it, the CAC bemoaned.

In addition to stating that Nigeria is superior to other African nations, he said that the nation has a land mass of roughly 955,000 square kilometers, which they should utilize wisely rather than for criminal purposes.

About 3 billion tons of palm oil are imported by us, in case you were unaware. In agreement. In terms of palm oil production, we rank fifth globally. We’re prepared to put the smugglers in grave danger. It’s what I’ve been doing. It is necessary for the others to quit smuggling if you are willing to take that danger. Their great-great fathers lived here and ran the same business, and they will tell you that they were born here. I can tell you, though, that they have a plethora of other legal business options.

Indonesia produces 50 million metric tons of palm oil annually, making it the world’s largest producer. Then came 19 million metric tons from Malaysia. Fifth is Nigeria. Our palm seedlings were brought to by those nations in the 1960s. This is being exported to us now. An average of 3 million metric tons are needed in Nigeria.

No more than 1.5 million metric tons are produced by us. Therefore, the gap remains. Thus, if Nigerians here put up the effort, we can increase our output and export. Additionally, palm oil costs more than crude oil on the market.

A barrel of crude oil currently costs roughly $67. Palm oil, meanwhile, costs between $80 and $90 per barrel.

It’s the 2,800. Following that, the 1,319 seizures you are witnessing are occurring on this field. Therefore, throughout the activities we received these five trucks, 2,800 rice units were distributed. Please bear that in mind.