Customs: Destruction of 300 tonnes of illicit drugs will deny terrorists, bandits ‘oxygen’

Dismantling the Financial Lifeline of Crime

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has described the destruction of over 300 tonnes of illicit drugs seized across Nigeria as a major blow to drug dealers and violent non-state actors. According to the Customs chief, these criminal groups depend heavily on the illegal drug trade to finance their activities, including banditry and terrorism.

Adeniyi noted that the massive volume of narcotics destroyed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) represents billions of naira in lost investments for traffickers. This action serves as a significant effort to cut off the financial resources that sustain kidnapping, armed robbery, and insurgency throughout the country.

When we look at what we have to destroy today, over 300 tonnes of illicit drugs, it is very, very significant. I think the NDLEA deserves all the accolades it has received from local and international partners. It is not just about the size of what we are seeing, but about the scope. This is taken from operations conducted in our seaports, airports and land borders. This therefore represents a very strong message to drug dealers that they are no longer welcome in Nigeria.

— Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service

The Nexus Between Narcotics and Violence

The illegal drug trade has evolved into a multi-billion-naira industry, where traffickers often display lavish lifestyles while exposing Nigerian youths to the devastating consequences of substance abuse. However, Adeniyi stressed that the implications of drug trafficking extend far beyond public health concerns and general criminality.

He argued that there is an undeniable link between drug dealers and violent non-state actors, as drug proceeds provide the necessary resources for heinous crimes. The destruction exercise is thus symbolic of the government’s determination to cripple the economic foundation of these illegal networks and deny them the means to perpetrate violence.

More fundamentally, we must recall that there is a nexus between drug dealers and violent non-state actors because drugs continue to provide the oxygen for their crimes. Bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers, insurgents and terrorists depend on this oxygen.

— Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service

Strengthening Inter-Agency Collaboration

Adeniyi commended the leadership of the NDLEA and the officers across various security formations whose intelligence and commitment led to the seizures. He emphasized that the scale of these operations underscores the importance of effective risk management and the need for sustained cooperation between government agencies.

To further this goal, the Nigeria Customs Service and the NDLEA recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This agreement is designed to strengthen intelligence sharing, joint operations, and investigations to prevent criminal groups from exploiting gaps in the nation's security architecture.

I also want to commend the spirit of partnership between the Nigeria Customs Service and the NDLEA. Recently, we consummated a Memorandum of Understanding which allows us not only to exchange intelligence and information, but also to carry out joint operations and investigations in our respective areas of responsibility. I am happy to note that this is beginning to yield positive results.

— Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service

Recent Seizures and Judicial Commitment

Highlighting recent successes, Adeniyi disclosed a major operation at the Tin Can Island Port. Earlier on the day of the destruction exercise, he handed over 240 containers containing cookies and other illicit substances seized by Customs officers to the relevant authorities for further action.

The Comptroller-General assured the public that the agencies would pursue diligent investigations into all seizures to ensure that those found culpable face the full weight of the law. He maintained that the government remains resolved to dismantle the networks that profit from illicit drugs and their connections to violent criminal activities.

I am happy that through efforts like this, we will carry out very diligent investigations. We will send perpetrators to jail, and we will all assemble in places like this to effect the destruction and ensure that these substances do not end up in the wrong hands.

— Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service