The Nigeria Customs Service said it is currently at the final stages of rolling out a comprehensive electronic tracking system.
This according to the Controller General of Customs (CGC) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, the deployment of the technology became pertinent considering the persistence of the menace and the sophistication of the criminal networks in cargo diversion.
Adeniyi, who spoke in Kano on Friday further revealed that the technology has already been successfully tested and validated across the South-western and North-western axis of the country, demonstrating remarkable efficacy in real-time cargo monitoring and route verification.
“The Kano/Jigawa Command had received over forty containers fitted with these tracking devices.
Both officers and stakeholders have expressed satisfaction with the enhanced security and operational efficiency provided by the devices”, he added.
The Controller General of Customs Service, further stated that despite commendable efforts and good intentions, unscrupulous elements within the commercial ecosystem, operating in connivance with a small number of vulnerable officials, have persisted in their attempts to circumvent regulatory framework.
“These criminal actors have engaged in the diversion of containers that are legitimately routed from our mother ports to designated inland terminals and Free Trade Zones. This illicit activity constitutes a serious breach of
the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, particularly Section 64(b), which mandates that carriers and consignees bear full responsibility for presenting goods to the Service in accordance with prescribed transit procedures.
“Cargo diversion is a customs matter as well as raises profound security, economic, and reputational concerns. It precipitates revenue losses, enables commercial fraud, distorts fair competition, and creates undesired perceptions that undermine Nigeria’s standing in the international community”, he stated.
The Customs Boss also revealed that during the period Q2 to Q4 2025, under the operational purview of the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, the Service made a total of twenty (20) seizures of diverted transit containers destined to various terminals across the command.
The aggregate Duty Paid Value (DPV) of all intercepted goods stands at ₦769,533,666 million Naira. This represents a significant vindication of our enforcement capabilities and the vigilance of our personnel at critical interception points.
“We call upon shipping agents, freight forwarders, importers, and all stakeholders in the supply chain to ensure strict compliance with transit procedures as prescribed by the Service and by law.
We will continue to enforce the law, unmoved by threats, inducements, or political pressure”, he warned.