By Eyere Ekuta
The Nigeria Customs Service has won the 2026 Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Football Tournament after an unbeaten campaign ended with a 3–0 victory over the National Institute for Sports (NIS) in the final played at the Area 3 Football Pitch, Abuja, on Saturday, 26 September 2026.
The victory marked Customs’ progression in the competition, after reaching the semi-finals in 2024 and securing bronze in 2025. Captain Mikail Abubakar opened the scoring and finished the tournament with five goals to win the Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player awards. At the same time, Familola Fatai and Femi Omodara completed the 3–0 victory. Goalkeeper Charles Ahur was also named Best Goalkeeper after saving two penalties in the semi-final against the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Training and Doctrine Command, Suleiman Chiroma, commended the team for its remarkable performance and for bringing honour to the Service. “I commended the team for this outstanding performance and for bringing honour to the Nigeria Customs Service,” he said. NIS finished as runners-up, while the Nigerian Air Force placed third.
Chairman of the NUJ FCT organising committee, Comrade Ndubueze Chidoka, described Customs as deserving winners after their unbeaten run. “Customs are truly champions,” he said, while commending all participating teams for maintaining a high standard throughout the tournament.
Assistant Superintendent of Customs 1, Jeremiah Haruna, one of the team’s coaches, said the objective from the outset was to win the title. “We were coming for the win, for the gold, to take the trophy back to our headquarters,” he said, while crediting the players for their commitment and acknowledging the support of CGC Adeniyi and the Service’s Sports Secretary, Samuel Onikeku, and fellow coach, Assistant Superintendent of Customs 1 Simeon Kolawole.
The tournament, which brings together institutions in an annual sporting contest for participants aged 35 years and above, aims to promote interaction, sportsmanship, and stronger relationships among participating organisations. It featured teams from the NUJ FCT Council, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Air Force, NDLEA, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Television Authority and the FCT Football Coaches Association.
The football triumph adds to the Service’s strong performances in other sporting disciplines, with the Customs women’s basketball team progressing unbeaten to the 2026 Nigeria Basketball Federation/Zenith Bank Women’s Premier League Final Eight in Lagos, while the men’s volleyball team won all 12 matches in the first phase of the 2026 CGC Volleyball Premier League with 36 points, with the women’s team also topping its standings.
During the closing ceremony, the NUJ FCT Council recognised the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, as its Development and Media Partnership Patron.
