The Muritala Muhammed Area Command (MMAC) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it has seized smuggled goods worth N6.06 billion between January and June.

Michael Awe, the command’s comptroller, who spoke to journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, said the agency also generated N80.3 billion in revenue during the period in review.

Awe noted that the revenue represents a 107.5 percent increase from the N38.7 billion generated in the same period in 2023.

He credited the increase in revenue to the support from Bashir Adeniyi, the comptroller-general of customs, and his management team.

He noted that the revenue difference was achieved through “officers’ resilience in ensuring proper declarations and adherence to import/export guidelines”.

Awe stated that “officers were vigilant in enforcing government fiscal policies and trade regulations”.

“The Command seized five packages of 250 mg tramadol, 12 packages of 225 mg tramadol, and one package of 50-round 9mm live ammunition,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“Other seizures include 46 packages of dried sea cucumbers, three packages of dried donkey male genitals, and 55 pieces of Jojef Tomahawk semi-automatic rifles.

“The cumulative duty paid value (DPV) of the aforementioned items stood at N6.06 billion.

“These items are seized mainly because of various forms of infractions, which range from false declarations, non-adherence to import/export guidelines, and failure to comply with other extant regulations as enshrined in the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCS Act) 2023.”

On stakeholders’ engagement, he noted that the command’s open-door policy helped resolve many issues of common interest.

“I urge our partners in the clearance value chain to brace up for emerging challenges as we work together to move the country forward,” he said.

He commended the officers of the command for their dedication to fighting smugglers while urging them to adhere strictly to the rules of engagement.

He appreciated the contributions of genuine stakeholders, other security agencies, and the media.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Wednesday said its operatives have arrested the leader of Mushin, Lagos drug cartel identified as Sulaiman Jimoh aka Temo.

The agency stated that Temo, who had been on its wanted list, had been evading arrest until he was eventually nabbed.

His arrest comes after a drug baron, identified as Joachin Mbonu, was arrested in his mansion in Imo State on July 12 after fleeing from South Africa.

In a statement on Wednesday, the NDLEA ‘s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said Temo was apprehended at his hideout after initially resisting along with his men.

He said, “After many years of wearing the toga of invincibility, the overall head of the Mushin, Lagos drug cartel, 57-year-old Alhaji Sulaiman Jimoh (alias Olowoidiogede, popularly known as Temo), has been arrested by operatives of the NDLEA, at his enclave after an initial resistance from him and his horde of hoodlums.”

Babafemi recalled that operatives of the NDLEA had seized drugs worth billions of naira from Temo.

He added that a few of the NDLEA operatives with Temo had resulted in fierce gun duels.

Babafemi said, “In the last two years, the NDLEA had intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs worth billions of naira owned by Temo but he has remained largely evasive while a few encounters with him and his armed gangs in his Mushin enclave had resulted in gunfight.

“Some of the recent seizures of his shipments include: 14, 524.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a strong strain of cannabis sativa, smuggled into Lagos from Ghana in two trucks and a J5 bus intercepted at Ojuelegba area of Lagos in the early hours of Sunday 28th January 2024; two truck-loads of the same substance weighing 8,852kg intercepted at Eleko beach, Lekki Lagos on 4th May 2023 and 252kg of Loud seized from his enclave in Mushin on Wednesday 26th July 2023. Indeed, in the last two encounters, his men engaged NDLEA operatives in a gunfight.”

Narrating how Temo was arrested, Babafemi said the NDLEA ‘s surveillance team tracked him to Igbarere Street in Mushin and was pinned down on July 22.

He said the team immediately called for a reinforcement of 50 operatives when he tried to escape.

Babafemi said, “The drug kingpin was very notorious for always being on the move to evade arrest but with persistence and determination of the Agency aided by modern tools and intelligence, the concerted effort to get him paid off at 10 am on Monday, July 22, 2024 when NDLEA’s surveillance teams on his trail tracked and pinned him down at Igbarere street, Mushin. A reinforcement of about 50 operatives was immediately mobilized to the area while he was attempting to escape in a Mercedes Benz SUV GLE 350 marked 01G-300G.”

Babafemi stated that Temo attempted to mobilize hoodlums to engage and distract the operatives to facilitate his escape, but he was unsuccessful.

He said, “His attempt to escape by mobilizing hoodlums to engage and distract the operatives however failed after which he was overpowered and whisked away from the chaotic scene while his men surrendered to the superior firepower of the anti-narcotic agents who also succeeded in recovering the Mercedes Benz SUV the suspect was found in.”

Babafemi said the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd) commended the officers and men of the Lagos State Command, Special Monitoring Task Force, and other formations for Temo’s arrest.

He said, “In his reaction to the arrest of Temo, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the officers and men of the Lagos State Command, Special Monitoring Task Force, and other formations tasked with the assignment of getting Temo arrested for their resilience, vigilance, and professionalism. He urged them to intensify the heat on all drug cartels wherever they are located.”

The Lagos State Police Command has busted a fake sachet water-producing company at Oluwole Market in the Apapa area of the state.

The suspects were said to be fraudulently using another company’s brand name to sell their products.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, who disclosed this in a post on his X.com handle said the perpetrators also duplicated the NAFDAC number of the company.

Hundeyin noted that their activities were discovered after a tip-off by residents in the community.

He wrote, “Thank you, Lagosians, for giving us information and safeguarding the health of others.

“These suspects fraudulently used the brand name and NAFDAC number of another sachet water producing company to produce their sachet water inside Oluwole Market, Apapa.”

In the video attached to the post, one of the suspects caught on duty was seen conducting a team of policemen around the facility where they operated.

The suspect also showed them some of the bags of sachet water stored in the refrigerator, opening about three while the officers inspected.

A heap of other bags of sachet water was also seen stored in a separate room in the facility in the video. The suspect went further to operate the machine used in producing them on the instructions of the officers present.

Meanwhile, Hundeyin who spoke to newsmen on Monday about the discovery said the security operatives invaded the company on Friday, July 19.

According to him, only one worker was found in the building while the owner of the facility absconded.

“The facility was raided on July 9 and only was suspect was arrested in the process. The owner is now at large and efforts are ongoing to apprehend him. The suspect is in our custody and helping with investigations.”