Bayo Akomolafe 
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has intercepted five trucks conveying 10,000 bags of expired flour valued at ₦1.2 billion, smuggled into the country from Egypt.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, disclosed this on Thursday at the Seme-Krake border, stating that the consignment originated from Egypt and was routed through the Benin Republic into Nigeria.
He said the seizure was made in a joint operation with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), following credible intelligence shared by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.
Adenuga explained that the flour, produced in March 2024, had expired in November 2024, warning that its circulation could have posed serious public health risks.
“If these things find their way into the country, they change the bag, and it goes into the markets. The health risks associated with consuming such expired products could have led to severe infections, food poisoning, and long-term health complications,” he said.
“Beyond health implications, such unwholesome goods undermine local industries and erode consumer trust.”
Other items seized during the operation include 1,104 parcels of cannabis sativa, 98 parcels of 120mg Tramadol, 2,043 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 150 bales of second-hand clothing, 169 bottles of codeine cough syrup, and five used vehicles, all with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦1.99 billion.
Two suspects arrested in connection with the drug seizures have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.
On the command’s revenue performance, Comptroller Adenuga revealed that the Seme Command generated ₦1.5 billion in September 2025, representing an impressive 182 percent increase over the ₦531.4 million collected in August, the month before he assumed duty.
He attributed the improved performance to enhanced intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and renewed commitment to curbing smuggling activities across the border.
