*** Seizes 200 Bags Of Smuggled Rice In Badagry Market Raid
The Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has continued in 2026 the high momentum of revenue generation it had in 2025 as it has collected about 2 billion in the first three weeks of the new year.
It could be recalled that the command recorded the sum of N15.6 billion in 2025 with N3.6billion of the total revenue collected in December of that year.
However, the command has sustained the high tempo of revenue generation in the year 2026
The Controller of the border command, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, made this revelation in his office while hosting the Executive members of the Caretaker committee of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) led by Mr Tunde Ayodele, who paid him a courtesy visit on January recently.
Comptroller Adenuga, while welcoming his guests, declared that his men and officers are fired up to surpass the revenue figures recorded last year.
He maintained that with the continuous support of the Comptroller – General, Wale Adeniyi and his management team, Seme border will continue to sustain the momentum that propelled the officers into 2026.
Adenuga also disclosed that while the command has maintained a steady course on revenue generation, it has not eased the step on the anti- smuggling pedal in the new year.
According to him, just like the officers of the command are taking the fight to the smugglers in their routes inside the bush, they have equally sustained surveillance on the distribution point of the smuggled goods at the market place.
Consequent upon this, Adenuga disclosed that the anti- smuggling officers of the command raided the selling point of smuggled rice at the Badagry market on January 21st, 2026 where they impounded over 200 bags of smuggled rice.
“We have just raided the Badagry roundabout where these smuggled rice are being assembled and sold.
“We had on several occasions warned them to desist from this act and leave the place.
“We have even asked the Oba of Badagry on my last visit to his palace before his death to appeal to these people to vacate the point of sale of the smuggled rice”
“They will smuggle the rice through the creeks and then will now come to that place and be selling.
“So if you go there now, you’ll see that it has been cleared” Comptroller Adenuga disclosed.
He vowed that the raid will be a continuous exercise until the Badagry roundabout which he said is a notorious place for selling smuggled rice is cleared of miscreants.
Comptroller Adenuga however pledged the support of his command to the leadership of MARAN and promised to collaborate with the association for mutually beneficial programmes.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman, Caretaker committee of MARAN, Mr Tunde Ayodele, congratulated the Controller on his assumption of duties as the head of Seme command, a feat he said was a testament to the rising profile of the controller as a committed customs officer and a reflection of the confidence of the management of the NCS in the managerial acumen of Comptroller Adenuga to head the busiest border command of the Customs.
Ayodele assured Comptroller Adenuga of the support and collaboration of MARAN to ensure that he succeeds in his assignment.
The MARAN Caretaker Chairman noted that the association has noted with keen interest the vibrancy and transformation in the border operations at Seme which Comptroller Adenuga has brought to the border command within the short time he assumed duties.
“We are not surprised at the level of transformation and burst of activities you brought to Seme border operations, given your performance trajectory from your previous duty posts, especially at the Apapa Command where you were the unseen hands in the unprecedented revenue generation witnessed at the Customs’ flagship command when you were DC revenue” the MARAN chief recalled.
Meanwhile, the Comptroller- General of NCS, Adewale Adeniyi, has paid a condolence visit to the palace of Oba of Badagry who recently joined his ancestors.
Adeniyi paid his last respect to the departed King through Comptroller Wale Adenuga who represented the CGC.
According to Adenuga, he went to the palace of the late King on January 21st, 2026 on behalf of CGC Adeniyi to commiserate with the people and chiefs of Badagry Kingdom on the death of their first class monarch.
