Capacity Building: Customs Police Unit Holds Strategic Training to Boost Professionalism
Author: Titus Omajali.
The Customs Police Unit (CPU) of the Nigeria Customs Service has conducted a two-day in-house capacity-building training aimed at strengthening professionalism, operational efficiency and institutional knowledge among its officers.
The pilot programme, held from 5 to 6 February 2026 at the BAA Conference Room, CPU Headquarters, brought together Deputy Provost Marshals, Assistant Provost Marshals and Assistant Comptrollers, who served as both participants and resource persons in a peer-learning format designed to deepen collaboration and leadership within the Unit.
In his opening remarks, the Provost Marshal, Comptroller of Customs, Sani Yahaya, stressed the importance of continuous training, noting that the initiative reflects the Unit’s commitment to strengthening internal capacity and enhancing service delivery. He explained that modern law enforcement demands constant professional development and inter-unit cooperation to remain effective.
He also highlighted key aspects of the reform agenda of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, particularly programmes centred on trade facilitation, the Authorised Economic Operator scheme, Advance Ruling and the One-Stop-Shop initiative. According to him, the Customs Police Unit plays a strategic role in supporting these reforms through enforcement, compliance monitoring and intelligence-driven operations.
The training sessions covered a broad range of operational and professional subjects, including emotional intelligence and workplace ethics; arrest and detention procedures; criminal investigation; investigation reporting within the Service; reputation management; tracking technologies for suspect location; compliance enforcement operations; and the application of artificial intelligence tools in investigative work.
A guest facilitator from the AML/CFT Unit, Safiyanu Salisu, delivered a presentation on the activities of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit. He emphasised the need for stronger synergy between the AML/CFT Unit and the CPU, noting that financial intelligence and enforcement operations must work hand in hand to achieve effective compliance and national security objectives.
At the close of the training, six operatives were honoured with awards for outstanding performance and exemplary service.
