The Incident and Customs' Stance
Usman Abdul, the Public Relations Officer for the MMIA Command, issued a statement confirming the commencement of an investigation. Comptroller Effiong Harrison, in charge of the command, provided details of the passenger's arrival and the items found in his possession. Adhekegba arrived in Lagos aboard British Airways flight BA-75 from London on Friday, May 16, 2025, at approximately 6:47 PM, landing at the arrival hall D of the old terminal.
According to Harrison, Adhekegba was accompanied by 10 pieces of luggage containing multiple new items, including 15 pairs of footwear, 22 bottles of perfume, 12 bags, and numerous articles of new clothing. These items were assessed at a value of $1,948.15 USD. Using the prevailing exchange rate of ₦1,598.22, the total value in Naira amounted to ₦3,113,574.00.
Duty Paid and Remitted
Comptroller Harrison explained that in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023, applicable charges were computed. These charges included the Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) charge, Import Duty, Surcharge (SUR), ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) Levy, and Value Added Tax (VAT). The total amounted to ₦1,000,004.00, which the command stated has since been duly remitted into the Federal Government’s coffers. The customs examination was reportedly carried out by two officers, Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) K.O. Adebayo and Assistant Superintendent of Customs I (ASC I) C.C. Ugboma.
Commitment to Professionalism and Transparency
The NCS reiterated its commitment to professionalism, transparency, and integrity. "The MMIA Command does not condone unethical behaviour or compromise of standard operational procedures by its personnel or members of the travelling public," Harrison emphasized.
While the command remains open to scrutiny and welcomes constructive engagement from stakeholders, Comptroller Harrison firmly reiterated that duty must be paid on dutiable items as prescribed by law. He stated that the command would not hesitate to enforce the relevant provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, should any passenger be found to have breached the law for personal gain.
The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command assured the public of its dedication to facilitating legitimate travel and trade, while maintaining a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct or abuse of process at all ports of entry.