The Traffic

Customs Seize ₦905m Rolls-Royce Ghost in Ogun, But Smuggling Scandals Cast Shadow on Border Security

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Ogun State has intercepted contraband goods valued at over ₦1.4 billion, including a 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost with a duty-paid value of ₦905 million—a seizure described by officials as both shocking and unprecedented.

Announcing the operation in Idiroko on Thursday, Comptroller Godwin Otunla, Customs Area Controller for Ogun I Command, said the luxury car was among a haul of illicit items seized in recent weeks. “The seizures with a DPV of ₦1,401,531,923.95 represent a significant economic loss to the smugglers but a huge gain to our national economy and security,” Otunla declared at a press briefing.

Other seized items include:

7 trucks carrying 4,424 bags of foreign parboiled rice

1,936 parcels and 50 sacks of cannabis sativa

105 used tyres

21 bales and 3 sacks of second-hand clothing

6,400 litres of smuggled Premium Motor Spirit

A Honda Accord

Otunla also reported that the Command generated ₦45 million in July 2025, representing a 27.47% increase compared to ₦35.3 million recorded in July 2024. The illicit drugs seized, he added, would be handed over to the NDLEA for further action.

The Customs boss attributed these successes to tighter border surveillance, a stronger compliance drive, and collaboration with other security agencies. He warned that the Command would not relent in its fight against smuggling.

Allegations of Corruption Cloud Success

Despite the high-profile seizures, allegations of Customs complicity in rice smuggling have raised doubts about how airtight Nigeria’s border enforcement truly is.

Multiple rice dealers, speaking anonymously to SaharaReporters, alleged that Customs personnel in Lagos and Ogun routinely allow contraband rice from the Benin Republic to flow into the Nigerian market.

According to sources, smugglers pay as much as ₦250,000 per boat to corrupt officials, with each boat carrying 120–150 bags of rice. Videos and photos reportedly show rice-laden boats docking in Badagry Waterside, passing through areas like the Marina Customs base, Iya Afin, and Erekiti—despite the visible presence of Customs patrol boats.

“This Cotonou rice can be found in markets across Lagos. If those of us selling local rice face this kind of sabotage, how are we supposed to survive?” one rice dealer lamented, calling on the government to clamp down on the collusion.

The alleged corruption not only undermines the credibility of Customs’ high-profile busts but also deepens frustration among local producers battling to compete with cheap foreign rice.

Between Triumph and Trust Deficit

The seizure of a Rolls-Royce Ghost worth nearly a billion naira has reinforced the Customs Service’s claim of effectiveness in border policing. Yet, the lingering allegations of bribery and smuggler collusion paint a troubling picture: a fight against contraband that seems to advance in headlines but falter in practice.

As Otunla vowed continued crackdowns, industry watchers argue that without addressing internal corruption, even the most spectacular seizures may amount to little more than temporary victories in a long war against smuggling.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna