Customs Deepens Security Collaboration with Police, NSCDC in Benue
Author: Titus Omajali.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), North-Eastern Marine (NEM) Command, has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening inter-agency collaboration through strategic engagements with the Benue State Police Command and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to enhance maritime security, intelligence sharing and coordinated law enforcement operations. This was contained in a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Customs I Peter Prinkwap Longmen, in Makurdi on June 27, 2026, on behalf of the Acting Comptroller, NEM Command, Deputy Comptroller of Customs (DC) Akpesiri Ikewun.
The statement said the Acting Comptroller NEM Command paid separate courtesy visits to the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, and the Commandant of the NSCDC, Benue State Command, Commandant Larai Burrus, during which discussions focused on strengthening operational synergy to combat insecurity, smuggling, and maritime crimes.
Speaking during the engagements, DC Ikewun said the visits were in line with one of the policy thrusts of the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, which emphasises Collaboration as a key driver of effective security and service delivery.
“This visit is a practical demonstration of the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to building stronger partnerships with sister security agencies. We remain committed to intelligence sharing, joint patrols and operational cooperation that will strengthen national security, secure our waterways and support national development,” Ikewun said.
The DC Ikenwu further stressed the need for sustained collaboration to tackle smuggling, maritime crimes, and other emerging security threats affecting riverine and border communities, noting that effective intelligence sharing remains essential to the Customs Service’s border security and anti-smuggling mandate.
Responding, CP Nwadiogbu commended the NCS for initiating the engagements, saying no single security agency could effectively address Nigeria’s growing security challenges. “What is required is greater collaboration, intelligence sharing, professionalism and mutual respect among all security agencies. We must eliminate unhealthy rivalry and place national interest above institutional differences,” he said, adding that intelligence previously provided by Customs had helped the Police address insecurity in riverine communities.
Similarly, Commandant Larai Burrus welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed the NSCDC’s commitment to closer cooperation with the NCS. “The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps remains committed to deepening cooperation with the Nigeria Customs Service through intelligence exchange, joint operations and capacity development for the overall security of Benue State and the nation,” she stated.
The statement noted that the engagements underscore the NCS’s determination to institutionalise stronger partnerships with sister security agencies in line with the vision of the CGC, with the ultimate goal of enhancing operational efficiency, improving border security and promoting lasting peace and national development in Benue State and across Nigeria.
