The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has said that the deployment of modern scanners at the nation’s airports has significantly reduced the need for physical checks, enabling officers to detect threats more swiftly and improving the overall passenger experience.
Adeniyi stated that the introduction of advanced systems such as the Orion 928DX has strengthened surveillance capacity and contributed to a more efficient inspection process.
He added that initiatives such as the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) pilot have also accelerated cargo clearance time, reducing it from about 168 hours to 43 hours.
Adeniyi made these remarks during his presentation at the quarterly stakeholders’ engagement on presidential priorities and ministerial deliverables, held in Abuja under the theme “Leveraging Public Feedback to Drive Excellence in Aviation Services.”
Represented by Comptroller Haniel Hadison, the Customs chief used the forum to highlight major enforcement successes recorded between January and July 2025, including the interception of $2.2 million in undeclared cash across key international airports.
He disclosed that the Service intercepted $193,000 concealed in a carton of yoghurt at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on 20 March 2025, while at the Kano airport, Customs officers seized $1,154,900 and 135,900 Saudi Riyals from a passenger arriving from Saudi Arabia.
He said a further $578,000 in falsely declared cash was recovered from an inbound traveller from South Africa at the Lagos airport.
According to him, in total, foreign currencies worth N653.99 million were intercepted at the Kano airport alone.
Adeniyi noted that strict enforcement of currency declaration laws and compliance with end-user certificate requirements have significantly tightened border and aviation corridor security.
He added that sustained collaboration with agencies such as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has led to multiple seizures of drones, arms and endangered wildlife products, thereby disrupting criminal networks and safeguarding national interests.
On revenue generation, the Customs CG reported that the NCS raked in N3.7 trillion in the first half of the year, with the Lagos Airport Area Command contributing N97.16 billion, marking a 20.92% increase over the previous year.
He further revealed that the service confiscated contraband valued at over N1.2 billion, including foreign rice, used vehicles and unregistered pharmaceuticals, describing every seizure as “a testament to vigilance, teamwork and the unwavering commitment of our officers to protect Nigeria’s aviation corridors.”