Men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have intercepted 22 packages of suspected cocaine valued at about N1 billion along the Badagry–Seme corridor.

The seizure, carried out by the NCS Seme area command, was formally handed over on Friday at the federal operations unit zone A to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

In a statement, Adewale Adeniyi, comptroller-general of customs, who was represented at the event by Timi Bomodi, deputy comptroller-general in charge of enforcement, investigation and inspection, said the interception occurred in the early hours of February 10 at about 3:00am.

“Our dedicated officers intercepted a Toyota Highlander carrying 22 packages suspected to be cocaine. These substances were carefully hidden in a special bunker underneath the vehicle’s axle, so expertly concealed that, for the eagle eyes of our officers, it would have been virtually impossible to detect,” Bomodi said.

He added that one suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure, noting that the operation was conducted by officers of the Seme Area Command led by Wale Adenuga.

“This operation demonstrates the Service’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s borders and protecting society from the scourge of narcotics,” he said.

He added that collaboration among security agencies remains essential in tackling drug trafficking and related insecurity.

Customs authorities said the interception was carried out under provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, which empowers the service to enforce prohibitions related to public health and national security.

Receiving the seized drugs and the suspect on behalf of NDLEA, Abubakar Wali, assistant commander-feneral of the Lagos strategic command, commended the partnership between both agencies.

“The handover underscores the effectiveness of the MOU between the NDLEA and NCS, as well as the value of inter-agency collaboration in curbing cross-border drug trafficking,” Wali said.

The special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has called for a thorough investigation into Nasir el-Rufai’s admission that he accessed an intercepted phone conversation involving Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA).

In a post on X, Onanuga described el-Rufai’s disclosure as a “confession” and questioned whether the former Kaduna governor and his unnamed “collaborators” possess wire-tapping facilities.

“El-Rufai confesses to wire-tapping Nigeria’s NSA on TV. Does it mean that he and his collaborators have wire-tapping facilities?” Onanuga asked.

“This should be thoroughly investigated and punishment meted out. El-Rufai is not too big to face the wrath of the law.”

El-Rufai, during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme, said “someone tapped” Ribadu’s phone, allowing him to listen to a conversation in which the NSA “ordered” his arrest.

El-Rufai acknowledged the action was illegal but claimed the government routinely engages in similar practices without court orders.

“The government thinks they are the only ones that listen to calls but we also have our ways,” el-Rufai said.

Former governor of Kaduna, Nasir el-Rufai, has said that he accessed an intercepted phone conversation involving Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA).

El-Rufai, in an interview on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, said “someone tapped” Ribadu’s phone, allowing him to listen to the NSA allegedly instructing security operatives to effect his arrest.

He acknowledged the act’s illegality, adding that the government does it all the time.

“He made the call because we listened to their calls. The government thinks they are the only ones that listen to calls but we also have our ways. He made the call and gave the order,” he said.

“Someone tapped his phone. The government listens to our calls all the time without a court order. Someone tapped his phone and told us that he gave the order.”

The comment has elicited a response from Temitope Ajayi, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity.

“El-rufai admitted on national television that someone tapped the phone of the NSA for him to listen to his conversation,” the president’s spokesperson wrote on X.

“When Charles Aniagolu, the interviewer, interjected that that was an illegal action, el-Rufai agreed to the illegality.

“By the time he is picked up to produce the person who illegally tapped the NSA’s phone, he would say President Tinubu is a ‘tyrant’ and persecuting him.”