Smugglers Will Face Their Waterloo Under My Watch – Jonah Declares
By Titus Omajali
The newly posted Acting Comptroller of the Western Marine Command (WMC) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Deputy Comptroller of Customs (DC) Thomas Jonah, has declared a zero-tolerance stance against smuggling, warning that the Command’s waterways will not serve as routes for illegal activities under his watch.
Jonah announced this on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, during a familiarisation and operational tour of the Command’s outstations, aimed at assessing operational readiness, strengthening enforcement, and fostering collaboration with host communities and sister security agencies.
The tour allowed DC Jonah to assess the operational capabilities, logistics, and welfare of officers deployed across the Command’s maritime outposts and riverine waterways, while reinforcing the need for vigilance and effective service delivery.
At Panshi, the Acting Comptroller met with the Baale and traditional community elders to seek their support in combating maritime economic crimes, including the smuggling of rice, petroleum products, and other contraband, as well as drug trafficking along the waterways.
“It will no longer be business as usual for smugglers. I encourage those involved in smuggling to abandon illegal activities and embrace legitimate trade. Under my watch, I will not allow our waterways to be used for smuggling or any other illegal activities,” Jonah warned. He emphasised the critical role of host communities in intelligence gathering and preventing criminal activities, stressing that safeguarding the nation’s waterways is a collective responsibility requiring sustained cooperation between Customs officers and riverine residents.
The Acting Comptroller called for stronger partnerships with local communities through regular communication, voluntary compliance and timely intelligence sharing to improve surveillance and strengthen the Command’s capacity to identify and disrupt smuggling activities.
The familiarisation tour also included engagements with sister security agencies, including the Nigerian Navy, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to strengthen inter-agency collaboration and operational synergy in securing the Western waterways.
To sustain the momentum, Jonah directed officers at the outstations to maintain robust communication with traditional institutions and community members, emphasising proactive surveillance, credible intelligence gathering and coordinated enforcement as essential to effective maritime border management.
