Customs seize N5.53bn prohibited imports at Port Harcourt

The Nigeria Customs Service, Port Harcourt II Area Command, said it has seized 56 containers laden with prohibited goods with a total duty-paid value of N5.53bn.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, stated this while showcasing the seized containers to journalists at the command in Onne, Rivers State, on Tuesday.

Adeniyi also reiterated the service’s commitment to protecting Nigerian farmers, manufacturers, and businesses from prohibited imports, false declarations, and other practices that undermine domestic production and job creation.

“The service intercepted 56 containers laden with prohibited goods with a total duty-paid value of N5.53bn,” Adeniyi said.

He mentioned that the consignments comprised 45 20-foot containers of foreign vegetable oil, nine 40-foot containers of used clothing, and two 20-foot containers of Channy tomato paste.

“Confiscating them aligned with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives, particularly policies promoting made-in-Nigeria products,” he stressed.

The GCG explained that the interception formed part of intelligence-driven and risk-based operations aimed at preventing prohibited, “restricted and improperly declared consignments from entering the Nigerian market, thereby crippling the overall productivity of our local businesses.”

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Adeniyi highlighted that unchecked importation of products that could be produced or processed locally puts additional pressure on Nigerian farmers, manufacturers, and other domestic producers by exposing them to unfair competition, weakening demand for local products, and discouraging investment across domestic value chains.

“The economic impact is especially significant in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Large-scale importation of products that Nigeria can produce or process may undermine the Federal Government’s efforts to promote local industries, strengthen food security, create jobs, and diversify the economy,” he said.

He stressed that Customs enforcement was not designed to frustrate legitimate businesses, but to ensure that Nigerians and compliant businesses operated within a fair, secure, and predictable trading environment.

“The service’s risk-based approach enabled it to facilitate legitimate cargo while directing enhanced scrutiny towards consignments considered high-risk,” Adeniyi said.

He commended the Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, Aliyu Alkali, and officers of the Port Harcourt II Area Command for the interceptions.

Adeniyi also advised importers and other stakeholders to confirm the admissibility of their intended imports before commencing transactions and to make accurate declarations on the description, quantity, value, origin, and classification of goods.