Customs Boss, Bashir Adeniyi Speaks To Participants of National Defence College
The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Mr Bashir Adeniyi, has called for collaboration among Heads of Security Agencies describing it as a panacea for effective anti- smuggling operations in the country. The Custom Boss made this call while delivering a lecture to participants of Course 33, National Defence College Nigeria (NDC) in Abuja. CG Adeniyi avers that synergy and understanding among state actors will curtail the illegal activities of smuggling to the barest minimum and increase economic growth in the country.
Adeniyi says the lecture with the theme, “Anti-Smuggling Operations and National Security in Nigeria” is apt especially towards evaluating the current state of anti-smuggling operations, operational successes, identifying challenges and outlining strategic initiatives for enhancing the Service’s capabilities in protecting national security interest. Speaking further, the CG reveals that smuggling operations across the globe represents one of the most critical challenges to national security and economic stability of most nations which undermine legitimate trade, revenue and also fund criminal enterprises and compromise national security.
The CG added that modern anti -smuggling operations hinges critically on the synthesis of technological advancement, international cooperation, and collaboration to curtail the menace. According to him, maritime smuggling dynamics remain the primary channel for large -scale smuggling operations with vulnerabilities in container shipping. He further identified technological integration as another area where criminal organisations have demonstrated increased sophistication using advanced technologies in their operations. Despite these challenges, the CG listed out efforts of the NCS towards effective anti – smuggling operations and major operational successes which include 3, 555 seizures of smuggled items representing a remarkable 100.92% increase in Duty Paid Value from N17.56 billion in 2023 to N35.29 billion in 2024. He also mentioned that the NCS in 2024 seized 900 arms, and 113,472 caches of ammunition valued at #1.09 billion and #280.65 million respectively, interception of 76 shipments of animal and wildlife products valued at #4.93 billion among others.
On the way forward, CG Adeniyi suggests comprehensive transformation centred on technological advancement, capacity building, strategic operational improvement, and expansion of the geo -spatial surveillance system as necessary to improve anti-smuggling operations in the country.
In his remarks, the Commandant NDC, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu describes smuggling as a serious threat to national security as violent non state actors smuggle items which they use to wage war against the state and destabilise the nation. The Commandant calls for robust intelligence sharing and collaboration among state actors to tackle the menace. He thanked the Customs Boss for honouring the invitation of the NDC to deliver the lecture.
