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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎For the umpteenth time, the Ports Terminal Multi-services Limited (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has made it clear that it remains a no-go area for unlawful trade under any guise.
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‎As a Command, the PTML Customs has an unshaken commitment to implement the Revised Kyoto Convention, which is a World Customs Organisation (WCO) instrument for trade facilitation while using available manpower and technology to exercise the required control for import and export trade.
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‎The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Joe Anani stated this at the Command Headquarters in Apapa, Friday, while handing-over seized arms and ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
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‎The seizures consist of five (5) pistols of different makes, one (1) Crossman pump master rifle, 132 Remington live cartridges, 51 9 mm Lugar live ammunition and four (4) 9mm magazines.
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‎Others were forty (40) 9mm, NIM FC 30-30 blank and hollow ammunition and one hundred and eighteen (118) of 9mm empty shells.
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‎”These arms and ammunition were uncovered in 25 different occasions by our officers during the examination of imported vehicles between 2022 to 2025.”
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‎”These seizures are a fallout of the collective due diligence of the Command and other sister agencies in the port.”
‎The handing-over, he explained, follows  the approval of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR psc(+).
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‎Present at the event was the South- West Coordinator, National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) and his entourage. Others were the Management of Port and Terminal Multi-services Limited, sectional heads and  heads of other sister agencies.
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‎He explained that under the NCS Modernisation Project which was pioneered by the PTML Command, the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), also known as B’Odogwu, has raised the bar for productivity.
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‎”I am pleased to announce that this Command will receive scanners soon as part of the modernisation project and our capacity to detect concealments, like these arms and ammunition would be greatly enhanced.”
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‎Appreciating the Command’s compliant stakeholders for their cooperation at all times, he described them as l part of the Command’s success story.
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‎The CAC announced that two days to the end of January, 2026, the PTML Command collected  a total revenue of ₦44,058,849,416.65. This figure surpasses N40,497,594,223.89 realized in  January, 2025 by N3,561,255,192.76, marking an  8.8% increase in revenue.
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‎On behalf of the CGC, Comptroller Joe Anani formally handed over the seizures to the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) for appropriate action.
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎In a renewed effort to add more bite and ensure strict compliance to laws and regulations guiding Nigeria’s freight forwarding industry, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) will, come January 30, relaunch and recommission her Compliance Team at its new office location at Eleganza Plaza, Apapa.
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‎Mr Bartholomew Okeke, Chief of Staff to the NAGAFF Compliance Team, disclosed this in Apapa, Tuesday.
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‎Mr. Okeke explained that the Compliance Team, inaugurated in February 2021, serves as NAGAFF’s enforcement and intervention arm.
‎The interventionist body executes legitimate directives of the National President to ensure that freight forwarders and relevant government agencies comply with extant rules and regulations.
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‎“Where there is infringement from either practitioners or government agencies, we intervene. That is why it is called the Compliance Team. We are not confrontational by default; we are interventionist,” he said.
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‎ Following the takeover of the former office by the plaza management for other uses, he explained, it became necessary to relocate to another block within the same complex. So, the exercise goes beyond reopening an office.
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‎“We are not just recommissioning an office; we are relaunching ourselves more forcefully. We want people to know that we are not just back—we are forward-looking and fully committed to ensuring that all extant laws guiding the freight forwarding industry are strictly observed,” Okeke stated.
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‎On challenges faced by the Compliance Team in the past, Okeke identified non-compliance by both operators and some government agency personnel, often driven by personal interests.
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‎“There are people among government agencies who are out for their own pockets. When we confront such issues head-on with facts and institutional backing, they comply. We are connected to relevant authorities and we escalate issues of non-compliance appropriately,” he said. He assured that going forward, the Compliance Team plans to adopt a more engagement-driven approach rather than confrontation.

‎“The next phase is deeper engagement with agencies and stakeholders. It’s not all about fighting; it’s about facilitating trade. We want practical engagement, dialogue, and a think-tank approach to address challenges head-on,” he explained.
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‎On the level of compliance in the industry, Okeke said automation and reduced human interference have improved adherence to procedures, placing compliance at about 60 percent.
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‎“It’s not satisfactory yet, but we are moving forward. Our target is at least 90 percent compliance. There is no foolproof system, but our job is to educate, re-educate, and ensure reasonable compliance,” he added.
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‎ Being the umbrella body of freight forwarders in Nigeria, NAGAFF boasts of the largest membership in the sector, he reaffirmed.
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‎“When NAGAFF speaks, the industry listens. We represent the industry optimally,” he said, adding that continuous training remains central to the association’s philosophy of operating strictly on the side of the law.
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‎ Okeke recalled NAGAFF’s opposition to arbitrary increases in terminal and shipping line charges, including protests and engagements with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council that led to stakeholder meetings and moderated outcomes.
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‎“We do not shy away from defending our members and the economy. Whenever there are arbitrary charges, we are at the front line,” he explained.
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‎NAGAFF has over 1,000 members across various chapters nationwide, with the Compliance Team present in all major ports.
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‎Following the recommissioning, the Compliance Team plans to embark on advocacy visits to the Eastern Ports and Port Harcourt to reinforce its message of compliance and alliance-building.
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‎“There must always be room for discipline. We are the mirror of NAGAFF, and we must uphold its image,” Okeke said.
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‎Friday’s recommissioning ceremony will be graced by top dignitaries including the NAGAFF National President, Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, the Founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the Board of Trustees Chairman, Customs representatives, and other key stakeholders.
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎In her unwavering  efforts to ensure that killer – drugs do not find entry into Nigeria, the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has, in liaison with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted a 347.5 kilograms of ‘Canadian Loud’ concealed in an imported Toyota Sienna car.  The highly – valued substance is a potent strain of cannabis, ordinarily known as marijuana.

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‎As stated in a press release by CSC Isah Suleiman, the Apapa Customs Command Public Relations Officer, the contraband  hidden in 13 bags within one of four vehicles contained in a single consignment was discovered following a painstaking weighing exercise. A  breakdown shows ten bags at 25kg each, one at 29kg, and two at 34.5kg and 34kg respectively, totaling 347.5kg.
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‎This interception marks the fourth major joint drug bust by the Nigeria Customs, Apapa Command and the NDLEA in less than two months.
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‎In his remarks, the Apapa Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba re-enacted his warning to criminal elements and their networks to keep off the Command as the Command is always ahead of them to exploit whatever antics they deploy to undermine national security via the ports.
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‎“Any attempt by criminal elements to traffic prohibited items through Apapa Port will be detected and thwarted. We remain vigilant and resolute in the discharge of our duty to protect our society and national security.”
‎He emphasized that under his watch, no cargo, whether import or export will pass through Apapa Port without thorough examination.
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‎The operation also reflects the exemplary cooperation between Customs and NDLEA, championed by the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, PhD. Intelligence sharing and joint tactical efforts have consistently outmaneuvered smuggling networks in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
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‎Oshoba credited this strengthened partnership for the success, noting that the upcoming deployment of a high-capacity drive-through scanner capable of processing 200 containers per hour will further revolutionize anti-smuggling operations.
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‎Both agencies continue to operate under strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that foster zero tolerance, professionalism, and seamless cooperation. In line with established protocols, the seized cannabis has been formally handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution of suspects linked to the consignment.
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‎This latest success builds on the recognition accorded to Comptroller Oshoba and NDLEA Apapa Special Area Commander Mohammed Tukur, who were both awarded the WCO Certificate of Merit on January 26, 2026, in Abuja during the International Customs Day celebrations.
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‎Oshoba further explained that the interception aligns with the 2026 ICD theme: “Customs Protecting Society Through Vigilance and Commitment.”
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‎While Customs remains committed to facilitating legitimate trade, the CAC reaffirmed, it will intensify efforts to disrupt illicit activities and safeguard society.
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