Kano/Jigawa Customs generates ₦63.08bn ini six months, seizes contraband worth ₦1.71bn
Kola Oyelere, Kano
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The Kano/Jigawa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated ₦63.08 billion in revenue between January and June 2026, representing a 7.4 per cent increase over the ₦58.39 billion collected during the corresponding period in 2025.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Usman Adamu, disclosed this on Wednesday during a media briefing at the Command Headquarters in Bompai, Kano, where he presented the command’s half-year operational report.
According to him, the command generated ₦63,078,655,523.44 during the review period despite a decline in cargo throughput, exceeding the previous year’s figure by ₦4.69 billion.
Adamu said the Kano Free Trade Zone contributed more than ₦26 billion in the first half of 2026, surpassing its entire revenue for the whole of 2025 by about ₦4 billion. He added that the command also recovered approximately ₦3 billion through the detection of abuses in transit procedures.
On enforcement, the acting controller said intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with other security agencies led to the seizure of prohibited and restricted items with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦1.71 billion.
The seized items included unregistered pharmaceuticals such as tramadol and pregabalin, four air pistols imported in violation of the Firearms Act, elephant tusks, over 2,000 containers of 25-litre foreign packaged vegetable oil, military uniforms and accoutrements, smuggled vehicles, foreign rice, spaghetti and macaroni, counterfeit agrochemical packaging materials, an RX drone camera without the required End User Certificate, and 14 diverted transit containers.
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Adamu said 22 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures, noting that some had been handed over to relevant security and regulatory agencies for further investigation, while others were granted administrative bail.
He also disclosed that the command intercepted undeclared foreign currencies and other negotiable instruments at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in violation of the Anti-Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The intercepted items comprised 568,100 United States dollars, 134,256 Saudi Riyals, 28 Chinese Yuan, 20 Ghana Cedis, and 35 kilograms of silver bars valued at ₦175 million.
According to him, the interception underscored the command’s commitment to combating illicit financial flows and safeguarding Nigeria’s financial system.
Adamu attributed the command’s performance to several reforms, including the introduction of an end-to-end transit monitoring system, streamlined revenue collection processes, intelligence-led surveillance operations, improved cargo clearance procedures, enhanced monitoring of the Kano Free Trade Zone, regular stakeholder engagement, and the deployment of a real-time revenue monitoring dashboard.
He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the service’s management team for providing strategic leadership and reforms that contributed to the command’s achievements.
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The acting controller also appreciated other security agencies, stakeholders and the media for their support and urged traders and members of the public to comply with government fiscal and trade policies.
He assured that the command would sustain intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with stakeholders to facilitate legitimate trade, suppress smuggling and improve revenue generation in the second half of 2026.