Kano/Jigawa Customs Generates ₦63.08bn in Six Months, Seizes ₦1.71bn Worth of Contraband

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 recorded during the same period in 2025.

The Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Usman Adamu, disclosed this on Wednesday while presenting the command’s half-year operational report at its headquarters in Bompai, Kano.

Adamu said the command realised ₦63,078,655,523.44 during the review period, exceeding the previous year’s figure by ₦4.69 billion despite a decline in cargo throughput.

He attributed the revenue growth largely to improved operational efficiency and reforms introduced by the service. According to him, the Kano Free Trade Zone generated over ₦26 billion in the first half of 2026, surpassing its total revenue for the entire 2025 fiscal year by about ₦4 billion. He added that the command also recovered nearly ₦3 billion by uncovering abuses in transit procedures.

On anti-smuggling operations, Adamu said intelligence-led enforcement and collaboration with other security agencies resulted in the seizure of prohibited and restricted goods with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦1.71 billion.

The seized items included unregistered pharmaceuticals such as tramadol and pregabalin, four air pistols imported in contravention 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 imported without the required End User Certificate, and 14 diverted transit containers.

The acting controller said 22 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures.

While some have been handed over to relevant security and regulatory agencies for further investigation, others were granted administrative bail.

Adamu also disclosed that officers of the command intercepted undeclared foreign currencies and 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 approximately ₦175 million.

He said the interception demonstrated the command’s commitment to combating illicit financial flows and protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system.

According to Adamu, the command’s achievements were driven by key reforms, including the deployment of an end-to-end transit monitoring system, streamlined revenue collection processes, intelligence-led surveillance, improved cargo clearance procedures, enhanced monitoring of the Kano Free Trade Zone, regular stakeholder engagement, and the introduction of a real-time revenue monitoring dashboard.

He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the management of the Nigeria Customs Service for providing strategic leadership and implementing reforms that have strengthened the command’s operations.

Adamu also thanked other security agencies, stakeholders and the media for their support, urging traders and the public to comply with government fiscal and trade policies.

He assured that the command would sustain intelligence-driven operations and strengthen collaboration with stakeholders to facilitate legitimate trade, curb smuggling and boost revenue generation in the second half of 2026.