05 July, 2025
The Tincan Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reported a revenue haul of N747.08 billion for the first half of 2025, marking a significant 29.85 percent increase compared to N575.36 billion collected during the same period in 2024.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Oscar Ivara, said in a statement from Lagos on Thursday that the figure represents 98.03 percent of the Command’s revenue target for the period under review.
Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, attributed the record performance to rising compliance levels, consistent stakeholder engagement, and the deployment of the new digital clearance platform known as B’Odogwu.
He explained that 2,749 out of 3,450 Single Goods Declarations (SGDs) received had already been processed under the B’Odogwu system. “We have organised multiple training sessions—both physical and virtual—to ensure that stakeholders fully understand and adopt the new clearance process,” Onyeka stated.
Monthly revenue figures reflected steady growth, with the Command collecting N116.4 billion in January, N103.2 billion in February, N128.2 billion in March, N145 billion in April, N128.4 billion in May, and N125.6 billion in June. The June figure alone was a significant improvement over the N83.19 billion recorded in June 2024.
However, Onyeka noted that the Command had encountered some disagreements with freight forwarders over the breakdown of the once-celebrated “one-stop-shop initiative” at the port.
Beyond revenue generation, the Command intensified its anti-smuggling operations with the interception of two 20-foot containers filled with banned substances, including cannabis indica and crystal methamphetamine, weighing over 1,000 kilograms. The street value of the seizure was placed at over N8.05 billion.
“The illicit substances have since been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution,” Onyeka said.
In a separate enforcement operation, Customs officers also intercepted a 40-foot container loaded with arms and ammunition hidden within four used vehicles. Items recovered included pistols, live and blank rounds of ammunition, handcuffs, and tactical gear.
“These sensitive materials, along with the individuals linked to the consignment, have been transferred to the Department of State Services (DSS) for appropriate handling,” Onyeka added.
He also commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, whose election as Chairman of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council he described as a morale booster for the entire service.
“Our officers must remain professional and vigilant,” Onyeka urged, while also appreciating port users and partners for their growing role in intelligence sharing and cooperation.
