The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun I Area Command, has intercepted 6,035 parcels of cannabis, 2,339 bags of foreign parboiled rice and other prohibited items with a combined duty-paid value of N3.57bn.

The Acting Customs Area Controller of the command, Oladapo Afeni, disclosed this on Thursday while parading the seized items at the command’s headquarters in Idiroko, Ogun State.

Afeni said the seizures were recorded between June 24 and August 13, 2026, as part of the command’s intensified crackdown on smuggling and other cross-border crimes.

He said, “The seized items included 6,035 parcels of Ghana Loud/Indica, 2,339 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 70 cartons of basmati rice, 30 bags of foreign sugar, 11,450 litres of Premium Motor Spirit in kegs, 1,750 litres of PMS in drums and 30 25-litre kegs of diesel.

“Other seized items are 100 bags of fertiliser, 67 bales of second-hand clothing, 2,674 pieces of new shorts and trousers, 3,760 pieces of new tops, 85 fire extinguishers, 480 cartons of Pure Haven drinks, 53 packages of oats, 47 cartons of cosmetics, 36 packages of hair accessories, three packages of surgical shoes and 127 new purses, with the total duty-paid value of the seizures put at N3,574,435,248.08.”

The acting controller said the command had intensified its operations against smugglers through intelligence gathering, technology and increased enforcement, warning that it would make operations increasingly difficult for those involved in illicit trade.

He said, “Smuggling is often painted by perpetrators as a harmless commercial venture or a simple means of survival. Today, I am here to clear that misconception and lay bare the severe dangers that the smuggling of foreign rice and other prohibited items poses to us all.

“When foreign rice is smuggled into our markets, it undermines our local farmers and agricultural investors. Our government and local entrepreneurs have invested billions to achieve self-sufficiency in food production.”

Afeni said the continued smuggling of foreign rice could force local mills out of business, worsen unemployment and undermine the Federal Government’s efforts to promote domestic agricultural production.

He added, “By buying smuggled foreign grain instead of locally processed rice, we effectively export jobs to other countries while worsening unemployment and poverty at home.”

On the seized cannabis, the Customs chief said the drugs posed a serious threat to young Nigerians and communities, adding that the agency was working with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to disrupt drug trafficking networks.

“Smuggling of cannabis and dangerous variants like Ghana Loud, Colorado and Cannabis sativa is not a victimless crime. It destroys lives, breeds violence in our neighbourhoods and undermines our economy,” he said.

Afeni disclosed that the command had, from January 2026 to date, handed over 32,412 parcels of hard drugs and 92 sacks of raw Cannabis sativa to the NDLEA Idiroko Special Command.

He stressed that inter-agency collaboration remained critical to the fight against drug trafficking and other forms of cross-border criminality.

The Customs boss also disclosed that the command generated N90,066,164 in July 2026 from baggage assessments, auctions of perishable goods, PMS and other charges.

On exports, Afeni said the command recorded a total export volume of 10,110 metric tonnes, with a Free On Board value of N2,594,078,654 during the period under review.

Afeni warned smugglers and criminal syndicates against using the Ogun border corridors as transit routes for prohibited goods, saying the command would continue to seize contraband, impound vehicles and prosecute offenders.

“To the syndicates and smugglers who think they can use Ogun I Command as a transit route for poison, hear this clearly: We are adapting faster than you are. If you do not trade legitimately, we will continue to seize your goods, impound your vehicles and send you to prison,” he warned.

He appealed to traditional rulers, youth leaders and residents of border communities to assist security agencies by reporting suspicious activities.

Afeni also urged Nigerians to patronise locally produced agricultural and manufactured goods, particularly rice, saying such support would help strengthen domestic industries, create jobs and promote food security.

He commended officers of the command for their commitment to the fight against smuggling and expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for his support and leadership.

The seized narcotics were subsequently handed over to the NDLEA Idiroko Special Command in line with established procedures for further investigation.

Source: punchng.com

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The Ghana Police Service has arrested a suspected member of a robbery syndicate and killed two others in a foiled attempt to rob three banks in Labone, Accra.

The arrested suspect was identified as Augustine Maazi.

The police disclosed this in a statement posted on its X handle on Thursday.

According to the statement, the police received intelligence at about 10:45am on August 13, 2026, that a gang was preparing to attack GCB Bank, Ecobank and Zenith Bank, all located in Labone.

“A police team was immediately deployed to Labone where the gang members were spotted in their vehicles parked close to the banks.

“Upon sighting the police, one of the vehicle sped of in an attempt to escape.

“The police gave them a chase and arrested suspect Augustine Okechuku Maazi. The other occupant however managed to escape.

“The robbers in the second vehicle also tried to escape amidst firing.

“The police engaged them in a shoot out resulting in the death of two suspects,” the statement said.

The police said they recovered two vehicles — a Toyota Highlander with registration number GS-1434-18 and a Hyundai Tucson with registration number GS 7915-17 — as well as a blow pistol.

“Suspect Augustine Okechuku Maazi is in custody assisting the investigation while the bodies of the deceased suspects have been deposited at the morgue for preservation, identification and autopsy,” the statement added.

The Ghana Police Service commended the response team for foiling the planned robbery attempt.

It urged members of the public to continue to share credible information on criminal activities.

Source: punchng.com

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The Edo State Government on Thursday said between January and July 2026, over 70 cases of defilement were recorded, with over 50 per cent of such cases perpetrated by fathers of the minors.

The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Eugenia Abdallah, disclosed this during the bi-monthly press conference organised by the state Ministry of Information and Strategy.

The commissioner, flanked by Kassim Afegbua, Commissioner, Ministry of Information and Strategy, and the Managing Director, Edo State Geographic Information Service, Innocent Bello, disclosed that the minors defiled by their fathers were between the ages of two and 10 years.

She said, “Mostly, 50 per cent are abused by their own fathers, with the victims ranging from two to 10 years. For instance, there is a little girl currently in our custody who was impregnated by her father. She is just 14 years old and is eight months pregnant as we speak. The case was reported to us by a neighbour.

“When we asked her about her father, she told us that she had lost her father and pleaded with us not to have him arrested. Meanwhile, she is the only person who can tell us where her father is.”

The commissioner, however, expressed the state government’s commitment to ensuring that vulnerable citizens are not merely identified but protected, adding that survivors are not merely heard but supported.

She stated, “The victims are not merely trained but provided opportunities for economic advancement; and social-protection programmes increasingly produce measurable outcomes.”

Also speaking on steps taken by the state government to protect residents of the state, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy reiterated the government’s ban on the movement of motorcycles in the Benin metropolis, adding that it’s for security reasons.

He added, “We are not pretending about it. The reason why this was done was purely for security reasons. And the kind of reports we get daily have become a security concern to us.

“People use Okada (motorcycles) to kidnap people, to commit robbery. They carry their passengers, they take them to a lonely place and dispossess them of their belongings.”

On his part, the Managing Director, EdoGIS, while giving reasons for the delay in the release of land documents to applicants, said, “What is responsible for most of the delay in land document processing is the detection of fake application documents in many cases, and that includes survey plans, tax clearance, fake ID and so on.”

Source: punchng.com

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