Nigeria Customs says it has intercepted 3,300 cartridges of explosive materials and more than 65 tonnes of expired and waste noodles in separate operations at the Seme border in Lagos.

The Customs Area Controller, Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, disclosed the seizures during a press briefing at the Seme Area Command on Tuesday.

According to Comptroller Kaila, officers also seized 1,268 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 373 parcels of cannabis, pharmaceutical products, cigarettes and several vehicles.

The seizures, he said, had a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦365.16m.

Expired noodles allegedly destined for Nigerian market

The largest food-related seizure involved 1,306 sacks of expired and waste noodles, each weighing 50kg.

That amounts to about 65.3 tonnes.

Comptroller Kaila said the truck carrying the noodles had been declared as containing food items but was stopped after Customs received intelligence about the consignment.

He said officers found that some of the noodles had deteriorated and were decomposing.

Customs further alleged that the products were intended to be repackaged and relabelled before being sold in Nigeria.

The seizure is significant because Nigerian law prohibits the sale and distribution of unwholesome and expired regulated products.

NAFDAC says its regulatory framework is designed to ensure that only safe and compliant food and other regulated products enter the market.

The seized products are expected to be handed over for further action, according to Customs.

Explosives handed to police

The most security-sensitive seizure was 3,300 cartridges of explosive materials.

Customs said officers intercepted the consignment while it was being moved through the border corridor.

Comptroller Kaila said the materials had been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit for safe custody and investigation.

One suspect was also transferred with the explosives, Customs said.

The operation also highlights why border agencies need to work together. Under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, Customs is empowered to cooperate with neighbouring customs administrations and other agencies to prevent smuggling, enforce the law and facilitate legitimate trade.

Rice smuggling remains a challenge

Customs also reported the seizure of 1,268 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg.

The consignment represents about 63.4 tonnes of rice.

The Service said the rice was smuggled through illegal routes and argued that such imports undermine government efforts to support domestic rice production.

Customs has long treated smuggling through Nigeria’s land borders as both a revenue and agricultural policy issue. Its current enforcement and trade policy combines border protection with efforts to make legitimate imports easier to process.

The Customs Service’s tariff system also maintains an import-prohibition list and provides traders with tools to check applicable restrictions and duties.

Cannabis, opioids and cigarettes intercepted

The Seme Command said it also seized 373 parcels of cannabis, 90 packs of Tramaking 250mg and 69 packs of Royal Tapentadol 250mg.

It further reported the seizure of 310,000 sticks of Time/Yes cigarettes.

The Customs Service described the pharmaceutical products as illicit and said the seizures had disrupted supply chains for potentially harmful substances.

The NDLEA has separately reported large seizures of cannabis and opioids across Nigeria, including tapentadol and tramadol consignments intercepted at ports and other entry points.

The Seme Command said the seized drugs and unregistered pharmaceutical products would be handed over to the NDLEA and NAFDAC for investigation and further action.

Customs reports sharp rise in revenue

Beyond the seizures, the Command highlighted a substantial increase in revenue collection.

It said it generated ₦15.94bn in 2025.

Between January and July 2026, it reported collecting ₦19.84bn.

That means the Command says it collected ₦3.90bn more in seven months than it did during the whole of 2025.

Customs calculated the increase at 24.45%.

The reported increase also comes against a broader improvement in Customs’ national revenue performance. The Service said it generated about ₦7.28tn nationally in 2025, exceeding its approved target by 10.24%.

Border security versus trade facilitation

The Seme-Krake border is not only a security checkpoint. It is also part of a wider regional trading system.

In July, ECOWAS said it was working with national border authorities to improve the Seme-Krake Joint Border Post, including clearer signage intended to reduce delays and improve the experience of traders, transporters and travellers.

The African Continental Free Trade Area also places emphasis on customs cooperation and the simplification of border procedures.

Its agreement calls for border agencies to coordinate their activities and, where possible, establish joint controls and one-stop border posts to facilitate cross-border trade.

The Customs Service itself says its policy is built around revenue collection, border protection, trade facilitation, collaboration and the use of technology.

What happens next?

The explosive materials have already been transferred to the police’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, while Customs says the seized drugs and pharmaceutical products will go to the NDLEA and NAFDAC.

Comptroller Kaila said the Command would maintain its enforcement operations.

“Seme is no longer a safe corridor for economic sabotage,” he said.

He also framed the broader Customs mission as a choice “between patriotism and greed, between lawful trade and criminality, between protecting Nigerians and allowing dangerous goods to infiltrate our borders”.

The Ogun State Police Command says seven people abducted in Ipara have been rescued and three suspected kidnappers killed during a security operation in the state.

The command said the victims were rescued after a joint operation involving the police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Army and other security agencies.

It said 38 suspects were also arrested in separate operations between 3 and 6 August, although the figures in the police statement do not fully reconcile.

The arrests include 23 foreign nationals accused of involvement in an alleged Ponzi scheme and visa scam, 12 suspected cultists, an alleged armed robber and a suspected fraudster who police describe as a fake clergyman.

The police also reported recovering firearms, 75 rounds of ammunition, vehicles, motorcycles and other property suspected to be linked to criminal activity.

How the kidnap victims were rescued

According to the police, the seven victims were abducted at about 19:40 on 29 July along Paraga Street in Ipara, Ogun State.

The Anti-Kidnapping Unit began tracking the suspects after the abduction was reported, working with the DSS, army and other security agencies.

The operation received aerial support on 3 August after Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun asked Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu to deploy a police helicopter.

The police said the combination of intelligence gathering, surveillance, aerial support and ground operations eventually led security forces to the victims.

All seven were taken to the Police Hospital for treatment. One had suffered a gunshot wound, according to the command.

The operation did not end with the rescue.

Police said officers and DSS personnel later traced the suspected kidnappers to a hideout along the Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway in the early hours of 6 August.

A gun battle followed, during which three suspected kidnappers were killed, according to the police. Other members of the gang escaped and may have sustained gunshot injuries, the command said.

An AK-47 rifle, an empty magazine, four mobile phones and ₦2.3m in cash were recovered from the location, according to the statement.

The bodies were taken to the State Hospital morgue in Ijaiye, Abeokuta, for autopsy.

Police said efforts were continuing to find the fleeing suspects.

Other arrests and weapons recovered

In Itele, police arrested a man identified as Babatunde Olasunkanmi after a commercial motorcyclist reported that two passengers had allegedly attempted to rob him at gunpoint.

Police said a locally made cut-to-size double-barrel pistol, charms, a mobile phone and an ATM card were recovered from the suspect.

His alleged accomplice reportedly escaped with the motorcyclist’s Bajaj motorcycle.

In another operation at Onipanu-Ota, 23 foreign nationals were arrested over alleged Ponzi and visa fraud activities.

Police said one Malian passport bearing the name Diakite Alfousseini was recovered.

Twenty-one of the suspects were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service on 5 August for further investigation, while two remained with the police over alleged obtaining by false pretence and related offences.

The allegations have not been tested in court.

Police also said detectives arrested Kehinde Makinde, known as “Pastor Kenny”, in Ibadan after a four-month investigation.

The command alleges that he defrauded members of a fellowship in Saje, Adatan, Ogun State, by promising to arrange a government-sponsored pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Police said about ₦2.5m was allegedly collected from 18 fellowship members, with each person promised ₦2m.

Makinde remains in police custody while investigators look for possible additional victims and accomplices.

Police recover SMG and 75 rounds

In a separate case, officers in the Sakura area recovered what the command described as an English submachine gun and 75 rounds of live ammunition.

The weapon was reportedly discovered inside a damaged wardrobe while a rented property previously occupied by a deceased landlord was being cleared.

Police said the weapon and ammunition would undergo ballistic examination.

The investigation is expected to establish how the firearms came to be hidden at the property and whether they have been used in any crime.

The command also reported the arrest of 12 suspected cultists at a hotel in Igbesa after receiving intelligence about alleged harassment and extortion.

Police said several suspects escaped.

Eight motorcycles, a Lexus vehicle, an unregistered Toyota Camry, knives, battle axes, charms and cult-related items were reportedly recovered.

In Owode-Egba, police recovered a Toyota Hilux which its owner said had been stolen from his residence four days earlier.

A 31-year-old man was also arrested over the alleged theft of a commercial tricycle. Police said the tricycle was recovered in Abeokuta.

Another abandoned Bajaj motorcycle was recovered in Sagamu.

Why the latest operation matters

The operations come as kidnapping and other violent crimes remain a concern across Ogun and neighbouring states.

Security researchers have recorded kidnapping, cult violence and armed crime among the major security threats in Ogun. Between January 2024 and December 2025, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) recorded 131 security incidents in the state, resulting in 121 fatalities.

ACLED has also warned in 2026 that mass kidnapping, once more heavily associated with northern Nigeria, is increasingly affecting southern parts of the country.

Ogun has already responded with greater emphasis on joint operations.

In June, the Ogun and Lagos police commands launched Operation Kosaye to target kidnapping and other violent crimes along the two states’ shared corridors. The operation involved searches of forests and suspected criminal hideouts, with police reporting the rescue of kidnapped victims and arrests of suspects.

The state government has also said it wants greater use of technology and stronger security coordination. In June, Governor Abiodun said Ogun was on high alert over rising insecurity and announced plans to strengthen the state’s security architecture.

The latest operation therefore represents a continuation of that strategy rather than an isolated intervention.

But the rescue of seven victims also highlights the continuing challenge: security agencies were able to free the hostages only after an abduction had already taken place.

What happens next?

The rescued victims are receiving medical attention, while investigations into the suspected kidnapping gang continue.

Police said the fleeing suspects remain targets of the operation.

The 21 foreign nationals transferred to Immigration will face separate investigation over their immigration status and the allegations surrounding the suspected scheme. The two retained by police are expected to face prosecution if investigators establish sufficient evidence.

For residents, the immediate benefit is the rescue of seven people and the disruption of a suspected kidnapping network.

The Ogun Police Command has urged residents to remain vigilant and provide information about suspected criminal activity.

The Ogun State Police Command, the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), traditional rulers and other stakeholders have renewed calls for stronger community policing as part of efforts to tackle rising security threats across the state.

The appeal came during a security summit held in Remoland on Wednesday, hosted by the National Golden Patron of the PCRC, Sir Aare Adetola Emmanuelking. The event brought together Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Olubode Ojajuni, senior police officers, traditional rulers, heads of security agencies, community leaders and members of the public.

The meeting focused on crimes affecting many Nigerian communities, including kidnapping, cultism, ritual killings, illegal arms trafficking and cybercrime.

Why it matters

Nigeria has witnessed growing concerns over violent crime and insecurity in different parts of the country, prompting renewed emphasis on intelligence-led policing and stronger cooperation between residents and security agencies.

Security experts have repeatedly argued that community policing works best when residents trust law enforcement enough to report suspicious activities early and when security agencies respond promptly to credible intelligence.

The Remoland summit reflects that broader national conversation, although participants did not announce any new operational strategy or policy changes.

Calls for shared responsibility

Addressing participants, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking said effective security requires active participation from both citizens and law enforcement agencies.

According to him, “Security is far too important to be left to the Police alone. Every citizen has a role to play in safeguarding our communities. This is the vision upon which the PCRC was founded.”

He described the PCRC slogan, “PCRC… Peace to the Nation,” as a reminder that sustainable peace depends on intelligence sharing, community policing and mutual trust between residents and security agencies.

Emmanuelking also commended the Inspector-General of Police for promoting community policing nationwide and praised Ogun State Commissioner of Police Olubode Ojajuni for engaging directly with community stakeholders.

Stakeholders exchange security concerns

During the interactive session, traditional rulers, community leaders and security professionals discussed local security concerns with the Commissioner of Police.

The discussions centred on improving intelligence gathering, preventing crime before it occurs and strengthening public confidence in law enforcement.

Participants agreed that closer collaboration among the police, traditional institutions, the PCRC and residents remains essential to addressing evolving security challenges.

Expert perspective

Security analysts have consistently maintained that community policing can only succeed when communities have confidence that information they provide will be treated confidentially and acted upon.

They also note that sustained investment in police training, technology, emergency response and public trust is necessary for community-based policing initiatives to produce lasting results.

Public perspective

For many residents, the effectiveness of community policing will ultimately be measured by whether it leads to fewer kidnappings, quicker police response times and safer neighbourhoods.

Community leaders at similar security engagements have frequently urged residents to report suspicious movements while calling on authorities to ensure reports are investigated promptly.

What happens next?

The summit ended with stakeholders reaffirming their commitment to deeper collaboration, improved intelligence sharing and continued engagement between communities and security agencies.

Whether those commitments translate into measurable reductions in crime will depend largely on sustained implementation and continued cooperation between residents and law enforcement.