The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt Area II Command, Onne, Rivers State, generated a total revenue of ₦859 billion between May 2024 and July 2025, while also intercepting contraband goods valued at ₦200 billion within the same period.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Theophilus Duniya, disclosed this in a document on Thursday, highlighting the achievements of Muhammad Babandede, who served as the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command during the period under review.
According to Duniya, the contraband seizures included 544 assorted rifles, 112,500 rounds of ammunition, over 75 million tablets of tramadol, 14 million bottles of codeine syrup, and more than 50 million tablets of other expired or fake pharmaceuticals.
“These seizures, all valued at over ₦200 billion, were made in strict compliance with customs laws against concealment, false declaration, and the importation of prohibited items,” Duniya stated.
The revenue breakdown showed consistent monthly growth under Babandede’s leadership. In 2024, the command generated ₦47.421bn in May, ₦62.342bn in June, ₦62.847bn in July, ₦47.725bn in August, ₦49.502bn in September, ₦64.683bn in October, ₦51.795bn in November, and ₦50.820bn in December.
For 2025, ₦61.489bn was recorded in January, ₦62.371bn in February, ₦66.709bn in March, ₦54.312bn in April, ₦64.034bn in May, ₦56.349bn in June, and ₦57.518bn in July — totaling ₦859bn in 15 months.
Reacting to the development, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, commended Babandede and his officers for their professionalism, diligence, and success in tackling illegal trade.
“The Onne Customs, under the leadership of Mohammed Babandede, beat smugglers and importers of contraband at their game,” Adeniyi said.
He added:
“I want to express my deep appreciation to the officers of the Port Harcourt Area 2 Command for their relentless efforts in safeguarding our nation. Your dedication to duty and commitment to the fight against smuggling are commendable, and I assure you that your efforts do not go unnoticed.”
The commendation comes shortly after the NCS Board, at its 63rd regular meeting, approved the promotion of Babandede and 11 others as Assistant Comptroller Generals of Customs.
