Customs confiscates N273m worth of vegetable oil and other contraband in Cross River.

By Ike Uchechukwu

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) operating in the Cross River/Calabar Free Trade Zone and the Akwa Ibom Area Command seized 1,996 kegs of vegetable oil along with other prohibited items, totaling a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N273.68 million.

During a briefing to journalists in Calabar on Wednesday, Area Comptroller Momodu Dauda explained that the confiscations resulted from a series of anti‑smuggling operations within the command’s jurisdiction, delivering a substantial setback to illicit trade.

The confiscated goods comprised foreign refined vegetable oil, imported used tyres, second‑hand clothing, and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), seized between early June and Wednesday.

Dauda noted that the most consequential operation occurred on 14 June 2026, when customs patrols on the Odukpani‑Calabar Highway stopped a truck that had two 20‑foot containers.

He added that the driver and his motor boy, fearing imminent arrest, fled the vehicle and have since remained at large.

A later search of the abandoned truck revealed 1,996 kegs of 25‑litre foreign refined vegetable oil, valued at a DPV of N195.5 million.

Customs officials also seized 1,500 imported used tyres worth N61.39 million and 105 jumbo‑sized rolls of second‑hand clothing valued