By Peace Udugba
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C, has seized over 3,310 jerrycans of smuggled foreign vegetable oil with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦403.5 million, in a major crackdown on illicit trade activities.
Speaking during a press briefing in Owerri, Imo State, on Monday, June 15, 2026, the Comptroller of Customs in charge of FOU Zone C, Comptroller Bishir Balogun, said the seizure was made possible through strategic intelligence gathering and sustained enforcement operations by officers of the Unit.
According to him, the intercepted items comprised 3,310 jerrycans of 25-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil, 10 jerrycans of 10-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil, 20 cartons of 5-litre sunflower vegetable oil, and 20 cartons of 3-litre sunflower vegetable oil.
Balogun disclosed that one of the trucks conveying the contraband was intercepted at about 10 p.m. on May 9, 2026, along the 9th Mile axis in Enugu State, while another was apprehended on June 7, 2026, along the Onitsha–Agbor Highway following credible intelligence. The combined Duty Paid Value of the seized goods stands at ₦403,491,000.
He described the seizure as a significant setback for smuggling syndicates whose activities undermine local industries and the nation’s economy.
“This seizure represents a major blow to economic saboteurs whose illegal importation of foreign vegetable oil undermines local industry, technology transfer, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings,” he said.
Balogun reiterated the Service’s commitment to enforcing the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and supporting the Federal Government’s fiscal and trade protection policies.
“Let me emphasise that this operation demonstrates the Service’s firm commitment to enforcing the NCS Act 2023 and the Federal Government’s fiscal and protective measures that prohibit the importation of foreign vegetable oil,” he added.
The Customs Comptroller warned individuals and organised groups involved in smuggling activities to desist, stressing that the Service would continue to deploy intelligence-driven strategies to safeguard public health, national security, and the domestic economy.
He further disclosed that the seized vegetable oil remains in the custody of the Nigeria Customs Service pending the conclusion of investigations and the initiation of appropriate legal proceedings.
