Guarding the Creeks: How Afeni Is Turning the Tide Against Smuggling
By Fly Cable News
At dawn along the creeks of Agbara, where narrow waterways weave through mangroves and silence often conceal illegal trade, a different kind of battle is being fought—not with fanfare, but with vigilance, patience, and resolve. At the center of it stands Olukayode Oladapo Afeni, a Customs Commander whose recent successes are turning the tide against smuggling in southwestern Nigeria.
For Afeni, the fight is not just about seizures and statistics—it is about protecting livelihoods, preserving national dignity, and ensuring that Nigeria’s economic backbone is not quietly eroded by illicit trade.
Afeni is fighting a war measured in kegs and cartons. On March 11, 2026, acting on precise intelligence, Afeni’s officers intercepted a truck along the Agbara axis. Inside: 2,539 kegs of smuggled vegetable oil, each 25 liters, carefully funneled through creeks in small batches to evade detection. It was not an isolated case.
Just weeks earlier, on March 4, a silo truck carrying 4,325 cartons of foreign spaghetti had been stopped. And back in December 2025, the command seized 2,090 kegs of vegetable oil—a clear indication of a growing pattern.
“These are not random acts,” Afeni explains. “They are coordinated efforts to undermine local industries and bypass lawful trade.”
For local producers, especially in Nigeria’s vegetable oil sector, such operations are a lifeline. Smuggled goods, often cheaper and unregulated, distort markets and threaten businesses struggling to compete fairly.
But the seizures go beyond food items. Among the most striking discoveries were:
2,547 packs of cannabis, later handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. 5,455 kegs of petrol (PMS)—over 13,000 liters, 1,204 bags of foreign rice,
four live pangolins, now in conservation care and two 19th-century antiquities, nearly lost to illegal export.
Each interception tells a deeper story—of environmental exploitation, public health risks, and the steady drain of national heritage.
The recovered antiquities, now entrusted to a museum in Abeokuta, are particularly symbolic. “They tried to take a piece of our history,” Afeni noted. “We brought it back.”
Afeni’s leadership style is rooted in intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency cooperation. Under the broader direction of Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the Command has strengthened collaboration with enforcement bodies, including drug control and wildlife agencies.
This coordination is proving critical. Smuggling networks are adaptive, often shifting tactics quickly. But Afeni insists his team is staying ahead.
“There is no trick we cannot uncover,” he says firmly.
Behind every interception is a team of officers working long hours under difficult conditions—navigating swamps, tracking intelligence, and confronting well-organized smuggling rings.
Their efforts are yielding measurable results. The command recorded:
₦1.35 billion in seized goods (Duty Paid Value)
₦285.6 million in revenue—far surpassing the previous year
A surge in exports, with 95 metric tons of goods valued at over ₦305 million.
These numbers reflect more than enforcement—they signal a shift toward a healthier, more regulated trade environment.
Afeni’s work aligns closely with the economic vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose administration has emphasized local production, trade fairness, and national security.
For Afeni, the mission is clear: make the terrain inhospitable for smugglers while encouraging legitimate commerce.
Despite the victories, Afeni is under no illusion that the battle is over. Smugglers continue to innovate, exploiting geography and demand. But so does his Command.
With growing support from local communities, traditional leaders, and the media, the fight is becoming a collective effort. “Smuggling may evolve,” he says, “but so will we.”
In a country where headlines often focus on high-profile conflicts, the work of officers like Afeni unfolds from the spotlight. Yet its impact is profound—protecting industries, safeguarding citizens, and preserving national identity.
This is not just a story of seizures. It is a story of persistence, leadership, and a man determined to defend the invisible lines that hold an economy together.
