The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘B’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Kaduna, has intensified its clampdown on smuggling with the interception of 250 bags of foreign parboiled rice cunningly concealed in a fuel tanker.
The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘B’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Kaduna, seized 250 bags of foreign rice hidden in a fuel tanker on Wednesday.
This was contained in a statement issued in Kaduna on Wednesday by the Unit’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Saidu Nuruddeen.
According to the statement, the seizure followed a tip-off received by operatives patrolling the Yauri-Kontagora Road in Kebbi State.
The intercepted vehicle, a DAF tanker truck, was escorted to Kaduna, where a thorough physical examination uncovered the contraband.
The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘B’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Kaduna, seized 250 bags of foreign rice hidden in a fuel tanker on Wednesday. Credit: Customs
Acting Comptroller of the Unit, AM Alkali, disclosed that the truck was intercepted on August 3, 2025, based on credible intelligence indicating suspicious movement along the corridor.
“Our operatives acted swiftly and professionally. Upon examination at our Kaduna office, 250 bags of foreign parboiled rice still under import prohibition were found concealed within the tanker, a vehicle usually meant for transporting petroleum products.”
The Comptroller revealed that the duty paid value of the seized rice was ₦20,510,000.
Zone B of the Federal Operations Unit covers Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, and the Federal Capital Territory, making it one of the largest Customs enforcement zones in the country.
The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘B’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Kaduna, seized 250 bags of foreign rice hidden in a fuel tanker on Wednesday. Credit: Customs
Alkali said, “On August 3, 2025, an operatives of the Unit acting on actionable intelligence intercepted a Daf tanker truck along Yauri-Kontagora Road, in Kebbi State, the team escorted the vehicle to Kaduna for a thorough physical examination.
“Upon examination, it was discovered that 250 bags of foreign parboiled rice were concealed inside the tanker, which were subsequently seized. The duty paid value for the seized rice stands at twenty million, five hundred and ten thousand Naira only.”
The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘B’ of the Nigeria Customs Service, Kaduna, seized 250 bags of foreign rice hidden in a fuel tanker on Wednesday. Credit: Customs
Alkali commended his officers for their vigilance, adding that the success of the operation reflected the Unit’s evolving intelligence-led strategy to suppress smuggling.
He emphasized the Unit’s dedication to using proactive surveillance and intelligence to suppress smuggling activities and protect Nigeria’s economic interests.l
