Nigerian Customs Under Fire Over Alleged Secret Auction of Seized Containers

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has refuted allegations that it secretly auctioned seized containers and vehicles to favoured individuals and companies without adhering to established procedures.

This denial follows the emergence of internal documents, obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, showing “Direct Auction Allocation of Containers” letters signed between April and July 2025 by H. H. Hadison, Comptroller, Special Duties.

The documents, stamped by the NCS Committee on Direct Disposal of General Goods, reportedly granted several private firms access to 40-foot containers containing vehicles, prefabricated houses, construction materials, medical equipment, and assorted goods at auction fees ranging between ₦1 million and ₦2 million.

A review of at least five such letters suggested a recurring pattern of manual approvals allegedly tied to insiders within the agency. Each document carried identical formatting, the same signatory, and Customs’ official watermark labeled “RESTRICTED.”

One of the letters, dated July 31, 2025, and addressed to a company identified by code MSMU8098517, approved the release of four containers containing luxury vehicles — including Lexus RX330s, Lexus ES330s, and a Toyota Highlander — at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, for a combined fee of ₦2 million.

The letter partly read:

> “I am directed to inform you that the Comptroller-General of Customs has allocated the listed containers to your company. This approval is in line with Section 119 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, via direct auction sale… Evidence of payment of the auction fee and VAT is required within five working days, or the allocation will be forfeited.”

However, stakeholders and licensed auctioneers have raised alarms over the uniformity of the documents, recurring signatures, and low fixed pricing — suggesting potential insider manipulation and violation of auction regulations.

Under the Customs and Excise Management Act and the 2023 NCS Act, seized or overtime goods must be auctioned publicly through a transparent process or the official e-auction platform, not by private allocation letters.

Reacting to the allegations, President of the Association of Licensed Auctioneers of Nigeria, Musa Kurra, condemned what he described as “widespread impunity” within the Customs Service.