Author: Abra Iruoghene and Muhammad Bashir.

The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, had a collaborative meeting with the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) on February 19, 2024, at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Corporate Headquarters to promote security and forge strong working relations.

The CGC, while speaking, noted that the primary objective of the collaboration is to maintain and deepen the existing relationships between NCS and the DIA. He emphasized that NCS believes in partnership, stating that cooperation with other Customs administrations and government agencies is a fundamental aspect of growth.

The CGC highlighted some ways in which they have collaborated, particularly in the areas of capacity building and security projects.

“The major objective of this delegation is to maintain and deepen the relationship between the Nigeria Customs Service and the DIA. For the records, the Nigeria Customs Service believes in collaboration. We believe that we can draw strength from collaborating with other government agencies,” he stated.

“We’ve extensively worked with the Armed Forces Command and Staff College to rebuild the capacity of our officers in the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College. Additionally, I’ve personally worked on collaborative security projects in the past, such as the Security Impact Collaboration,” he added.

The Comptroller-General of Customs expressed a desire for deeper partnership with the DIA, particularly in the area of more robust intelligence sharing, which, according to him, would enable the two agencies to address significant security challenges across the border areas and enhance the efficiency of Customs officers.

“It is our strong desire to deepen this kind of partnership to ensure that we benefit more from it,” he said.

Addressing the CGC, Air Vice Marshal Samuel Chinda, Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence who represented Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Parker, described the collaboration with the NCS as integral to their successes in combating border threats.

Speaking on the need to include officers in various intelligence training, AVM Chinda recalled how the Nigerian Armed Forces Command and Staff College contributed to enhancing the proficiency of Customs Officers.

“We are here to reinvigorate these relationships for future collaborations. Particularly, the Defence Intelligence Agency is open to partnerships in training and operations with the Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.

Author: Iruoghene Abra.

The Nigeria Customs Service has, on Tuesday 13 February, 2024 initiated an engagement with the West Africa Security Project (WASP) to acquaint officers on security awareness for effective trade facilitation and effective border security.

Addressing the delegates of the West Africa Security Project during a meeting at the Customs Corporate Headquarters, Abuja, Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR described the project as a medium that will benefit officers of the Service in the area of curbing smuggling and illegal trafficking of substances.

The CGC, who supported the collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and WASP, also described the initiative as great chance for officers to perform security duties.

CGC Bashir outlined some of the benefits of the program to encompass; cargo profiling, small arms and light weapon handling, global shield programs which deals with chemicals and radioactive elements, to share resources with stakeholders for synergy, amongst others.

According to CGC, “there is an existing project managed by the world bank that looks at the Lagos-Abidjan corridor whose aim is to promote trade facilition. Bringing in this new project that looks at the security aspect will boost our performances and potent a lot of opportunities for us.”

He added “We will be able to account for 60% of the GDP if we are able to cooperate effectively. This project requires the cooperation and collaboration of all the Customs administrations involved”.

Furthermore the CGC said that the program also entails field officers brainstorming and exchanging ideas. According to him, it will help officer know convergence of smuggling route to minimize smuggling and trafficking activities.

The project manager of West Africa Security Project (WASP) Terry Wall, outlined some of the benefits of the program to include; identification of high risk cargo, provision of training of national Customs Enforcement Network (nCEN), delivery of refresher training in the use of Customs Enforcement Network (CEN), joint activity to deliver GEOSPATIAL intelligence and High Level End-of-Project Evaluation with the donor.

…As Smugglers Sentenced to 2 Years Imprisonment with Hard Labour

Author: Lucy Nyambi.

The Nigeria Customs Service has successfully secured the conviction of two smugglers, identified as Felarun Oluwasegun and Fakorede Jelili, on Tuesday, 6 February 2024, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

In a press release signed on Sunday, 11 February 2024, by the spokesman of the service, Chief Superintendent of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada stated that the conviction stemmed from their involvement in assembling to contravene Customs Laws, possession of smuggled goods and assaulting Customs Officers with charms and horsewhips at Owoyele-Igbogila, Yewa-North Local Government, Ogun State.

Abdullahi Maiwada stated that one Felarun and Jelili were sentenced to 2 years imprisonment with hard labour without an option of fine by Honourable Justice Demi-Ajayi of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, asserted that, “11 suspects were convicted for committing offences of improper importation, assault of Customs officers, being in possession of foreign parboiled rice and for being in possession of Pangolin scales meant for export, while some other smuggling and related cases instituted in the courts are at various stages of prosecution and would be followed up diligently”.

“Recall that Felarun Oluwasegun and Fakorede Jelili were first arraigned in Court in May 2023 on a three-count charge and have been remanded at the correctional centre in Abeokuta since then until their recent conviction”. He stated.