Lagos FTZ Customs seize Tramadol, fake drugs haul

The Area Comptroller of the Lagos Free Trade Zone (FTZ), Olanrewaju Olumoh, on Friday disclosed that the command intercepted two containers of tramadol and a trailer-load of unregistered pharmaceutical products between January and March 2025.

Speaking during an oversight visit by the House Committee on Customs and Excise, Olumoh credited the success to effective intelligence gathering and collaboration with other agencies.
“Through credible intelligence and synergy with our sister agencies, we were able to intercept these harmful drugs before they entered circulation,” he said.He confirmed that the seized contraband had been handed over to relevant government authorities for further investigation and action.

Olumoh also used the opportunity to brief the lawmakers on the revenue performance of the command, describing it as a “front-runner” despite its relatively recent establishment.“We are the youngest command in the country, yet we have generated about ₦113 billion in just the first quarter of 2025,” he announced.

“At inception, we generated ₦25 billion. That grew to ₦74.05 billion in 2023, and in 2024, we recorded ₦358 billion, far surpassing our target of ₦133 billion set by headquarters.”

Highlighting the purpose of the free trade zone framework, Olumoh noted, “Free trade zones are meant to facilitate the landing of goods, raw materials, semi-finished and finished products without the immediate payment of duties. It’s a strategic model designed to stimulate economic growth, promote industrialisation, generate employment, and attract foreign direct investment.”

Since its establishment in February 2022, the Lagos FTZ Command has expanded rapidly.
“We began operations with eight free zones under our purview, but now we oversee 15 free zones, including the Lekki Deep Seaport,” Olumoh added.
“The command has become a major maritime hub not just in Nigeria, but across the West African subregion.”Despite these achievements, Olumoh appealed to the Committee for assistance with critical challenges.

“We urgently need support in securing proper office and residential accommodation for our personnel,” he pleaded.

In response, Rep. Bayo Balogun, a member of the Committee and representative of Ibeju-Lekki, where the command is located, pledged his support:“We’ll work towards helping you secure a parcel of land for your office accommodation. It’s the least we can do to support your remarkable performance.”