Customs warns smugglers as FOU zone ‘D’ Bauchi records N82.1m seizures
By Ahmed Ahmed
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘D’ of the Nigeria Customs Service has issued a stern warning to smugglers and dealers in prohibited goods, declaring that there will be no hiding place for those engaged in illegal trade within its area of responsibility.
Speaking during a media briefing in Bauchi, the Comptroller of the Unit, Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, said the warning followed a series of successful anti-smuggling operations carried out between December 8 and 19, 2025, which led to the interception of prohibited and uncustomed goods valued at N82,114,567.
Comptroller Kaila stated that the Zone, which covers Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa states, is intensifying enforcement of customs laws in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
He recalled that upon assuming office, he declared zero tolerance for smuggling, stressing that the recent seizures were clear evidence that the Unit was matching words with action.
Items seized during the period included 15,100 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 34 bales and six sacks of second-hand clothing, 150 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 80 sacks of used shoes, 390 jerrycans of vegetable oil and 20 cartons of foreign washing soaps.
The Comptroller warned that smugglers should desist from illegal activities, noting that intensified patrols, intelligence-led operations and closer collaboration with other security and regulatory agencies had tightened the noose around smuggling networks.
He explained that the decline in cases of wildlife trafficking, narcotics, controlled drugs and PMS smuggling was a direct result of sustained enforcement and professionalism of officers and men of the Unit.
Kaila emphasized that all operations were conducted within the ambit of the law, particularly Sections 226 and 245 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
He further disclosed that the Unit would sustain public sensitization through media engagement and community outreach to expose the economic damage caused by smuggling and encourage citizens to report suspicious activities.
He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, for providing the needed support and equipment, while assuring the public that FOU Zone ‘D’ remains resolute in securing borders, protecting the economy and suppressing smuggling to the barest minimum.
