The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is set to deploy 100 per cent cargo scanning at Onne Port in Rivers State to bolster maritime surveillance and stem the illegal inflow of dangerous goods, including arms, ammunition, and illicit pharmaceuticals.
The National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this on Tuesday during a media parley in Port Harcourt organized ahead of the service’s 2026 Public Relations Week, themed “Realigning Corporate Communication as a Strategic Driver of Institutional Effectiveness and Public Trust.”
Maiwada revealed that the non-intrusive inspection framework is already active at Apapa Port in Lagos State, where full scanning and image integration are yielding positive results. Under the impending system at Onne, incoming shipments will undergo pre-scanning, with captured images forwarded to NCS headquarters in Abuja for further evaluation.
The heightened focus on the Rivers State maritime corridor follows the September 2024 declaration of a state of emergency at Onne Port by Comptroller General Bashir Adeniyi, who instituted a three-month emergency protocol after intercepting significant caches of weapons and illicit drugs.
Clarifying the current status of the facility, Maiwada emphasized that trade activities have not been halted, but noted that the zone remains under heightened surveillance.
“In 2024, when we say state of emergency at the Onne Port, it does not mean that the businesses of clearance will not take place. We are putting more eyes, we are deploying more resources to make sure that illicit items do not find their way into the Port.”
He added that security operations will persist to protect the public from dangerous contraband:
“So we are going to continue to deploy resources to make sure that we save Nigerians from those who are determined to import items that are inimical to the welfare of my child and your own child, because if drugs come in, it will affect my child, it will affect you, it will affect the society.”
Addressing operational hurdles, the NCS spokesperson acknowledged structural pushback against the technological transition but reassured that Onne would be prioritized in the next phase of scanner deployments.
“I think we have started 100% scanning in Apapa, and we have started integration of scanning images. So those are checks, those are balances we are putting in place. There are resistances, and those resistance are both internally and externally, because people will resist change. So very soon we are coming to Onne that 100% scanning will also take place…”
The press briefing was organized to foster stronger media collaboration, reinforce public trust, and promote transparency around customs reforms designed to enhance trade facilitation, border protection, and national economic growth.
Applauding journalists as essential partners in nation-building, Maiwada noted that trust remains the bedrock of customs operations, with the media playing a vital role in shaping public perception and communicating policy.