By Steve Agbota
The Tin Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service on Thursday said that it collected over N747.07 billion revenue in the first half of 2025.
This is even as the Command said that it also handed over illicit drugs worth over N8.053 billion to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
In a statement made available to the Daily Sun, the Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Frank Okechukwu Onyeka, said the Command collected the sum of N747.07 billion as revenue for the first half of 2025.
He disclosed that this figure indicated a remarkable surplus of N171.719 billion when compared to the first half of 2024, which stood at N575.359 billion.
This figure, according to him, represents a growth of approximately 29.85% increase and has achieved 98.03% of the expected collection for the first half of the year 2025.
He noted that in January 2025, the Command generated the sum of N116.412 billion as against N88.430 billion in the same period of 2024, while in February, the Command recorded a total of N103.254 billion, above that of the previous year, which stood at N100.253 billion.
He said the months of March to May 2025 witnessed an increase in its revenue with the collections of N128.266 billion, N145.020 billion, and N128.446 billion respectively.
He further explained that these figures quoted above also showed an increase when compared to the Command’s expected monthly revenue target of N127.055 billion and those of March to May 2024, which stood at N115.108 billion, N95.703 billion, and N92.671 billion, respectively.
The month of June 2025 generated a total of N125.679 billion, surpassing the figure recorded in the corresponding period of the previous year, which stood at N83.192 billion.
He also informed that in the first half of the year, the Command received 3,450 Single Goods Declarations (SGDs) under the new B’Odogwu clearance system and has successfully processed and exited 2,749 entries.
He noted that since the innovation and its successful implementation, the Command had organised several online and physical trainings and workshops to provide first-hand knowledge to all stakeholders on the operations of the system.
Continuing, he further disclosed that a total of 282 vessels reported at the Command in the first quarter of the year, with import tonnage comprised of bulk cargoes such as bulk wheat, bulk malt, laboratory chemicals, drilling rods, bulk sugar, aluminium nitride, general cargoes, among others.
In the area of anti-smuggling activities, the Area Controller pointed out that the Command recorded significant progress in its drive towards safeguarding the nation and its citizens from the threat of unwholesome items through the arrest and subsequent handover of illicit drugs, arms, and ammunition.
According to his account, the Command confiscated and successfully handed over illicit drugs worth over N8,053,125,000.00 to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
“The feat was achieved through the timely interception of 2 x 20ft containers, which were separately found to contain 128 packets of Cannabis Indica, 97 packets of crystal methamphetamine, and 1,735 packets of Cannabis Indica with a combined total weight of over 1,000 kilograms.
“With thorough physical and non-intrusive inspection examinations, the Command uncovered arms and ammunition and other military equipment concealed in a 1x40ft container which was conveying four (4) used vehicles,” he added.
The CAC noted that to ensure proper handling of the items, the Customs Area Controller handed them alongside the consignee and the declarant over to the Department of State Services (DSS), Tin Can Island Port Command.
He said these handover exercises underscore the commitment of the Command to uphold and promote national security by safeguarding national borders against the influx of hard drugs and proliferation of small arms and light weapons as well as promoting inter-agency collaboration with all security agencies operating in the port.
He urged officers and men of the Command to continue to show acts of bravery and competence, stating that the success of the Command is dependent on their collective and professional contributions.
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