ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has announced plans to introduce 100 per cent cargo scanning for all imports arriving through the Onne Port in Rivers State as part of measures to strengthen security and improve cargo monitoring.
The service said the initiative is aimed at enhancing surveillance and detecting dangerous consignments, including arms, ammunition and smuggled pharmaceutical products entering the country through the port.
The National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, made the disclosure during a news conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday ahead of the 2026 Public Relations Week, themed ‘Realigning Corporate Communication as a Strategic Driver of Institutional Effectiveness and Public Trust.’
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Maiwada explained that every consignment passing through the Onne Port and other ports within the zone would undergo pre-scanning, with the images transmitted to the NCS headquarters in Abuja for further examination whenever necessary.
He noted that the 100 per cent scanning system has already been introduced at the Apapa Port in Lagos State and has delivered positive results.
Recall that the Comptroller-General of the NCS, Bashir Adeniyi, in September 2024 declared a state of emergency at the Onne Port after displaying seized arms, ammunition and illicit drugs intercepted at the facility.
At the time, Adeniyi announced a three-month emergency protocol requiring stricter scrutiny of all cargoes entering the country through the port.
Addressing the emergency measures at Onne, Maiwada clarified that importation and cargo clearance activities have continued uninterrupted despite the emergency status.
The Deputy Comptroller explained that the declaration simply identified the port as an area requiring heightened security attention.
“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. So whether it (emergency) has been cancelled or not, still, eyes are on Onne Port.
“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,” he stated.
Maiwada continued, “So, it does not mean that we have stopped importation. Then another aspect that we are working on is our non-intrusive inspection technology. That is scanning.
“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, and we’ll make sure that all items that come in are pre-scanned, and the images will be stored.
“Whenever we need to look and analyse those images, we’ll analyse them, and they are transmitted to headquarters also, those images, for further analysis. So our non-intrusive inspection technology unit is also working, and the next set of scanners that are coming, I’m sure Onne will be part of those Ports, and among many other ports.”
Maiwada said the media briefing was organised to strengthen collaboration between the NCS and the media in order to build public trust, promote transparency and support ongoing reforms aimed at improving trade facilitation, border security and national economic development.
He stressed that public trust remains central to the operations of the service, noting that the media plays a vital role in shaping public perception and communicating government policies to Nigerians.
The Customs spokesman also appreciated journalists for their continued support, describing the media as an indispensable partner in nation-building.