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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎The Acting Controller, Ogun Area 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service,  Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, has, for the umpteenth time, warned smugglers and people involved in sabotaging the economy to keep off the jurisdiction of the Command as dragnets in place will always catch them.
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‎The Customs boss made the affirmation at Idiroko, Thursday, while unveiling a 2026 Range Rover Sport Autobiography P530 valued at N417, 011, 982 seized by the Command between August and September, 2026. Other seizures include 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 8675 litres of PMS, 3,893 parcels of cannabis indica weighing 1,878 tonnes and 428 pneumatic tyres. Others include 24 bales of second -hand clothing, four sacks of used shoes and 500 litres of diesel all with a combined Duty Paid (DPV) was N2.469 billion.
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‎The seizures, Afeni explained, reflects the level of commitment of the Command to enforcing customs laws and protecting the country’s economic interests.

‎He said the Command’s anti-smuggling operations, intelligence-led enforcement and enhanced collaboration with sister security agencies had yielded tangible results in tackling illicit trade and strengthening border security across Ogun State.

‎Through her sustained anti-smuggling operations along the border corridors, he added, the Command had also intercepted substantial quantities of other prohibited goods .

‎The Acting Controller said the Command continues to maintain a firm balance between revenue generation and legitimate trade facilitation despite the current constraints she is grappling with.
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‎It has never relented in diligent duty collection, baggage assessment and physical examinations at designated border points.
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‎The Command also optimizes its import and export verification processes to facilitate compliant trade while maintaining regulatory oversight on sensitive goods, including mica stone, CNG, white talc and crushed thermal coal.
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‎To tackle cross-border crime, Afeni explained,  the Command has strong operational collaboration with sister security agencies such as the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, NDLEA and environmental management agencies.
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‎Flowing from this, the Command handed over 3,893 parcels of cannabis sativa seized during the period to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Idiroko Special Command, for further investigation.
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‎To build mutual trust and reduce hostility during enforcement operations, the Command has also been engaging  traditional rulers, youth leaders and border community associations.
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‎Afeni said the Command’s responsibilities extended beyond customs enforcement to supporting community development and environmental stewardship.
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‎He mentioned that the Command participated in inter-command athletic competitions in August and September, emerging as champions in volleyball.
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‎Acting Controller Afeni hailed the unwavering dedication of his officers and men, as well as the massive support of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the NCS management team.
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎The Nigerian Navy has warned that the unregulated deployment of unmanned vessels for maritime surveillance could pose serious security risks to the nation’s maritime domain. It has, therefore, called
‎for the development of an appropriate legal framework to regulate their use.
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‎Rear Admiral Daniel Atapa of the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department made the call in Lagos while speaking on behalf of the Chief of the Naval Staff at the Lagos International Maritime Week (LIMWEEEK) 2026 hosted by Zoe Maritime Resources Ltd.
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‎Rear Admiral Atapa said there was the need to harmonise the various maritime architectures under a single command to effectively curb the practice.
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‎Even though each agency is at liberty to operate its own equipment and systems, Atapa noted, the issue of inter-agency rivalry and the  harm it has brought to bear on the system often makes it difficult to harmonise the various maritime domain awareness assets for effective coordination and information-sharing.
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‎“There are Maritime Domain Awareness assets with NIMASA, Navy, NPA and the rest. To the extent that there is no regulation or codified framework mandating their use or defining their modus operandi, each agency is at liberty to operate with what it has.
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‎“Also, because of inter-agency rivalry which is silent and which we sometimes do not want to admit exists, it becomes difficult to harmonise these Maritime Domain Awareness assets. So, we continue to operate the way we do until there is a regulation that brings everybody together and says, ‘Come together and operate this way.’
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‎“We still make do with what we have. But once there is a regulation, it will provide the framework for harmonising these assets and ensure better coordination among the agencies.
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‎“On the presence of foreign vessels and navies in the Gulf of Benin, we need to understand that the Gulf is an open sea line of communication. Most of these foreign navies are from countries with significant shipping activities in the region.
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‎“You cannot impose on any country that because our maritime domain is now safe; they should drive away their vessels. To the extent that they were there before the crisis, during the crisis and before the de-escalation, they still have the liberty to operate.
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‎“We cannot tell them to leave the Gulf of Benin because that space is free and freedom of navigation is obtainable for everyone.
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‎“On the unregulated use of unmanned vessels, as I recommended as part of my prescriptions for addressing the issue, there is currently no regulation, and so everybody operates and does what they deem appropriate.
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‎“The implication is that, as long as there is no problem, everybody is fine. But once there is a problem, that will become the test case and demonstrate the need for regulation.”
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎To deepen customs inter-connectivity, joint risk management, coordinated enforcement, secure infrastructure, harmonized procedures and accountable joint governance, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the Benin Republic Customs has launched the transformation of the Seme-Krake Border Post into a modern technology-driven joint border post connecting Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
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‎Performing the historic transformation at the Seme-Krake Border Command, Friday,  Comptroller -General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi said without real time interconnectivity between the customs administration of Nigeria and Benin, the facility being inaugurated cannot achieve the purpose intended.
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‎He noted that while physical infrastructure such as lanes, parking lots, offices, weigh bridge and scanner housing have long been completed, integrating them into the customs systems with the aid of technology need to be in place.
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‎”Without inter-connectivity, this is not a joint border post. It is a border post sharing a car park at best,” Adeniyi stated.
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‎Key features of the modernisation arrangement include
‎real-time data exchange where declarations lodged on one side will be visible on the other, enabling seamless transit tracking and shared enforcement alerts.
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‎Another is trader support. This is a  dedicated facility for women traders which will simplify procedures for small consignments, provide multilingual information and reduce harassment and extortion.
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‎Enhanced security enables the restoration of scanning capability, strengthened access control, surveillance and lighting.
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‎Joint governance deals with harmonised bilingual SOPs. This covers cargo, passengers, inspection and incident escalation alongside a standing Nigeria–Benin enforcement and intelligence mechanism.
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‎Speaking at the event, Benin Customs Director-General, Col. Raouf Malehossou Aboudou described the initiative as commendable as it is critical and well -intentioned in efforts to recalibrate joint operations to facilitate trans-border trade in the current era.
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‎The Seme Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Abdullahi Shuaibu Kaila, also pledged the Command’s commitment to supporting seamless trade across the corridor.
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‎The launch event featured a facility inspection, demonstration of the border modernization solution and a symbolic football match between the Seme Area Command team and Badagry United Football Club. The Command carried the day with a 2–0 victory against their opponents.
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