The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has foiled a major drug‑smuggling attempt at the Apapa seaport with the interception of a large consignment of cannabis concealed in a shipping container. In a press briefing held at the Command on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, the Director of Seaport Operations, Assistant Comptroller General (ACGN) Ibinabo Achie Abia, fsi, revealed that the seizure came just two weeks after another high‑profile interception at the same port, underscoring the persistent attempts by criminal networks to use Nigeria’s seaports to push illicit substances into the country.
Acting on credible, jointly gathered intelligence between the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), officers of the Enforcement unit at the Apapa port subjected a 1×40‑foot container with the number HAMU 247034/8 to a thorough physical examination. The container, which originated from Canada, just like the one intercepted on 30 April 2026, was found to contain 8,347 packaged bundles of Cannabis Indica. The total weight of the contraband weighed 4,173.5 kilograms, with an estimated street value of N16.694 billion (Sixteen Billion, Six Hundred and Ninety‑Four Million Naira).
The Command described the shipment as a deliberate, large‑scale attempt by criminal syndicates to jeopardize national security, endanger public health, and profit from the destruction of lives, particularly among young people and women. Authorities stressed that, thanks to the vigilance of NCS officers and the robust intelligence‑driven collaboration with the NDLEA, the consignment was intercepted before it could reach the streets and distribution networks.
In her remarks, ACGN Abia affirmed that the Command is not backing down and that recent seizures have only strengthened its resolve. She said NCS will continue to intensify surveillance, expand its intelligence architecture, and deepen partnership with the NDLEA, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigeria Police Force, and other relevant agencies to ensure more interdictions are made. She also issued a stern warning to any internal collaborators within the port or logistics chain who may be aiding drug syndicates, stating that such individuals would be identified, tracked down, and prosecuted regardless of rank or position.
The Director appreciated the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, psc (+), PhD, and the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (Rtd) CFR, for fostering the inter‑agency partnership framework that made the seizure possible. She also commended the media for its role in sensitizing the public and supporting the fight against smuggling and drug trafficking.
The seized cannabis consignment has been formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation, including the tracing of agents, financiers, and logistics handlers behind the shipment. The Command reiterated its message to criminals: Nigeria’s ports are under watch, and every attempt to use them for illegal drug importation will be met with swift, coordinated enforcement action.