Customs

Reforming Customs’ FOU for efficient operations

In March 17th, 2021, one Mr Adeyemi Quadri, a freight forwarder, was shot and wounded by roving operative of the Lagos Federal Operations Unit( FOU) ,Zone A of the Nigeria Customs service.

The incident , which happened at the FOU check point at auto- wharf -Mile 2 road, sparked an uproar among the freight Forwarders confraternity.

Both the Customs and the freight forwarding group engaged in a face- off with each side, each side trying to justify the propriety of its action and position.

Luckily, the victim survived the scare but with a scar.

Such incident has been the hallmark of the operatives of the FOU who killed and maimed innocent citizens in the course of discharging their duties across the country.

In as much as we acknowledge the statutory roles of the units to stalk and maul down dare-devil smugglers, if such need arises, we however frown at the propensity of the operatives of these units to turn their guns on citizens who could be duty evaders or innocently got caught up in a cross fire with the vicious smugglers.

In February 17th, 2019, Nigerians were outraged by the footage of a video that went viral in which the operatives of the FOU killed an innocent Nigerian under the guise of carrying out their duties.

The incident, which happened at the Sagamu interchange along Ibadan-Lagos expressway, led to the curious shooting of one Godwin Agada, who was ironically working with the patrol team as a ‘water-fetcher’.

On January 21st, 2019, five innocent Nigerians among who was one Jamiu Bello, a fresh graduate of Tai Solarin University of Education, were felled at Yewa Community at Owode-Yewa in Yewa South LGA of Ogun State when they raided a house suspected to be harbouring contraband goods.

On November 2018, the Nigeria Police arrested seven Customs officers for shooting indiscriminately and killing one Mrs Patience Oni near Badagry roundabout.

On March 2017, one Taofiq, a cab driver, was killed at Kobape town, Abeokuta Ogun State for allegedly carrying three bags of rice suspected to have been smuggled.

On January 2017, one Bukola Olugunna, a pregnant woman , was shot and fatally wounded by Customs operatives on the trails of suspected smugglers at Iyana-Iyesi in Ado-Odo/Ota LGA in Ogun state.

In 2013, an FOU officer allegedly shot and killed one Chief Anayo Chinedu, the Vice-chairman of Idiroko border chapter of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) under a curious circumstance.

The list is endless and inexhaustible.

These endless but senseless killings got so bad that Dapo Abiodun, the Governor of Ogun state, recently had to appeal to the Customs authority to find solution to the scourge as several innocent people of his border state have been killed by the FOU operatives for which his government had to several times intervene to douse the public anger and uprisings that normally arose from such unfortunate incidents.

This has been a regular pattern of the brutality of the FOU operatives on innocent citizens.

The Mile 2 road incident was one of the several cases of irrational shootings of the FOU operatives across the country.

To say the least, we are no less troubled by these unfortunate but avoidable incidents which we condemn in strongest terms possible.

The Federal Operations Unit of the Nigeria Customs is the anti-Smuggling arm of the service created to carry out one of the statutory duties of the Customs, which is to suppress smuggling.There are four such units headquartered in the four Zonal structures of the Customs.

They are FOU Zone A, Lagos for the South-West, FOU Zone B at Kaduna, FOU Zone C at Owerri and FOU Zone D at Bauchi.

The most actively notorious and deadly among them is the FOU Zone A Lagos.

So their creation and duties are statutory and legal.

However, the officers of these special units have killed and maimed many innocent Nigerians in the course of stalking and tracking smugglers and their contraband goods.

This platform is worried that the special unit of the Customs created for a noble and worthy cause is gradually turning into a notorious gang.

The anti-smuggling officers, who are supposed to be heroes for their daring and heroic efforts to combat the scorching menace of smuggling, are sadly turning into villains due to the over-zealousness and needless killings of innocent Nigerians.

Rather than gain the sympathy and support of people for these officers in their dangerous task of confronting the dare-devil smugglers who sometimes kill and maim them, the senseless killings and maiming by some of the operatives have now attracted public anger and opprobrium to the efforts of the units.

We sympathise with the Customs for being caught between carrying out its statutory duty and courting and maintaining the support and cooperation of the people which is crucial to the success of its task.

We feel the pains of the Customs which has lost its officers and men to this fight against the vicious smugglers and also losing the needed support of the people due to the misconduct of few trigger-happy officers.

We believe however that the Customs could still salvage its image to earn the sympathy, empathy and support of the people in the course of carrying out its anti-smuggling duty.

The first step to achieving this, we believe, is to embark on complete and comprehensive overhaul of the entire anti-smuggling units of the Customs.

For us, something is fundamentally wrong with the orientation of the officers in the units.

There is an urgent need to re-orientate these officers who are supposed to be specially trained to carry and use firearms.

The Customs authority should ensure that apart from training and retraining them on the use of firearms, their state of minds should be under constant scrutiny and ascertained to be stable at all time.

It is an officer with unstable mind who will shoot indiscriminately among unarmed innocent people under the illusion of wanting to arrest a smuggler and his contraband goods.

Arming an officer with gun who lacks prerequisite knowledge of arms -handling and the one with unstable mind is a recipe for disaster.

We find it unwise therefore for the authority to allow a preventable disaster to happen before it takes a fire brigade measure to mitigate the disaster.

Prevention, they say, is better and cheaper than cure.

We also notice with alarm some of the operational procedures of the anti-smuggling unit which we consider archaic, barbaric, outdated and pre-historic.

We could not situate the relevance, efficiency and efficacy of chasing smugglers all over the cities and markets, shooting indiscriminately within the context of modern technology-driven espionage and surveillance system.

What is the Customs doing with its helicopter which we believe could be deployed for aerial surveillance patrol of our vast but porous borders?

Can’t the Customs authority use drone technology of border surveillance?

The logic of the oft-repeated and worn-out argument that the service lacks the required manpower to man our vast borders takes flight in the face of the use of modern surveillance technology.

How do other countries, especially those member nations which are affiliated to the World Customs Organisation (WCO) of which Nigeria is a member, carry out their anti-smuggling operations with minimum fatality?

Under technical partnership, Nigeria Customs through collaboration with other member states of WCO could learn to fight smuggling with minimum casualties.

In addition, Customs could use credible intelligence to stalk, trace and track contraband goods or goods whose owners evaded duties to their destinations, seal and cordon off the place before evacuation.

This is a reasonable alternative to the “Shina Rambo” style of operations of these units whenever their operatives are on the trail of smuggled goods or goods whose owners committed infractions in the clearance procedures, which often leave avoidable heavy casualties.

Apart from the overhaul of the operational procedures of the anti-smuggling unit, the Customs Authority should deal with the corruption within the service generally.

We often wonder, as most Nigerians do, that how do some of these contraband goods escape from the heavy presence of officers at the regular ports and the border posts?

What has become the directive of the CGC Hameed Ali in 2017 that banned indiscriminate mounting of check points by the FOU operatives on the roads.

In the said circular, Ali ordered the dismantling of all checkpoints mounted outside 40km of Nigeria’s borders.

He also ordered the dismantling of checkpoints in Port areas with immediate effect.

He described such check points as illegal.

But such checkpoints are not only still in existence to the defilement of the CGC directive, but are multiplying in numbers.

It was at these illegal check points that such indiscriminate shooting incidents take place.

The one that happened on March 17th, 2021 took place close to the PTML RORO port.

We believe the flagrant disregard for CGC directive was fueled by corruptive tendencies of the operatives.

It is alleged that the illicit practice of smuggling is being aided and abetted by the officers at the border posts who have been heavily compromised by smugglers.

This explains why these smugglers become furious, vicious and deadly when accosted by the anti-smuggling officers which normally results to fatality.

Until this virus is flushed out or minimised among officers, there will continue to be fatal clashes between anti-smuggling officers and smugglers who may feel they have paid their way and will put up bloody resistance.

We are also worried that the Customs authority may have under-estimated the enormous challenges some of these government policies may pose for its anti-smuggling operations.

The policy on the ban of rice through the land borders, the high tariff slammed on the item at the ports and the much-criticised Auto policy have all combined to make smuggling an attractive option which naturally leads to high incidence of the illicit practice.

One would have thought that the Customs would modernise its anti-smuggling machine to cope with the level of sophistication in the smuggling activities.

We are therefore alarmed that the Customs Service is still resorting to the old, archaic and outdated method of invasion of market places looking for contraband goods, chasing smugglers round the country like a cat chasing a mouse and mounting road blocks where innocent people are harassed, killed and maimed.

We strongly advise the Customs authority to upgrade its operational tactics and procedures in fighting smuggling that will lead to minimum fatality.

We also call on the federal government to empower the Customs authority to ensure that its antiquated and anti-people operational procedures in anti-smuggling operations are modernised and technology-driven.

We believe that if these changes are effected in the anti-smuggling operations of the Nigeria Customs Service, the agency will achieve far more successes than it currently recorded while it will also gain the empathy, support and cooperation of Nigerians who would agree to be allies in the fight against the dare-devil smugglers.

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Customs

Customs’ reforms, modernisation project excite Senate

Gloria Odion, Maritme reporter

The Senate Committee on Customs and Excise has commended the far-reaching reforms being implemented by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, describing them as evidence of prudent investment of government resources to reposition the Service for greater efficiency, transparency and improved service delivery.

The commendation came on Thursday, August 6, 2026, during a two-day retreat organised by the NCS in collaboration with the Senate Committee on Customs and Excise to strengthen legislative oversight and review the Nigeria Customs Service Act.

As part of the retreat, members of the Committee toured the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja, where they were briefed on the Service’s ongoing modernisation programmes, technology-driven operations and institutional reforms.

Speaking after the tour, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs and Excise, Senator Isah Jibrin, said the visit offered lawmakers an opportunity to witness first-hand the transformation taking place within the NCS.

“We have heard about these reforms from afar, but today we have seen them ourselves.

“The transformation taking place in the NCS is remarkable, particularly in the deployment of technology, modern infrastructure and operational innovations that are repositioning the Service for greater efficiency,” he said.

Jibrin said the retreat had also enabled members of the Committee to gain a clearer understanding of how appropriated funds were being utilised by the Customs Service.

“When the NCS comes before the National Assembly seeking approval for capital expenditure, we now have a clearer understanding of what those resources are being used for.

“The reforms we have seen today clearly demonstrate that government funds are being invested responsibly to strengthen Customs operations, improve trade facilitation and enhance national revenue,” he stated.

Responding, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, attributed the progress recorded by the Service to the deliberate deployment of technology across various aspects of Customs administration and operations.

He said technology had become central to the NCS strategy for improving efficiency, transparency and service delivery.

“Technology helps us to work faster and more efficiently. We started by deploying digital solutions into personnel administration, postings, staff matters and pensions before extending them to our core operational responsibilities, and we will continue until virtually every aspect of Customs operations is technology-driven,” Adeniyi said.

The Customs chief also highlighted the deployment of advanced technology in the Service’s enforcement operations, including virtual shooting simulators, geospatial intelligence and digital surveillance systems.

“We are deploying geospatial intelligence to map our patrol routes and position our checkpoints more efficiently across the country.

“Combined with modern training facilities such as our virtual shooting range, these innovations will significantly strengthen our enforcement capabilities,” he explained.

Adeniyi further disclosed that several of the Service’s modernisation initiatives were backed by provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, stressing that the NCS remained committed to implementing reforms that align its operations with the Federal Government’s broader economic agenda.

“The law requires us to modernise our operations. Initiatives such as the Authorised Economic Operator Programme, Advance Ruling, Time Release Study, scanner deployment and other technology-driven reforms are all backed by the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act.

“Our responsibility is to continue implementing them to support the Federal Government’s reform agenda,” he said.

The Senate Committee’s commendation is expected to further strengthen legislative support for the NCS modernisation programme as the Service intensifies efforts to leverage technology, strengthen enforcement, facilitate legitimate trade and boost revenue generation.

The retreat also provided an avenue for lawmakers and Customs management to deepen their understanding of the operational realities of modern Customs administration and the legislative framework required to sustain ongoing reforms.

Customs

Customs courts Senate to amend Customs Act for enhanced operational capacity

Funso Olojo, Editor

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has called on the Senate to amend critical provisions of the 2023 Customs Act to bring Nigeria’s customs administration in line with rapidly evolving global trade practices and strengthen the Service’s operational capacity.

The appeal was made at a retreat organised by the NCS for members of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs on August 5, 2026, where lawmakers were briefed on the Service’s ongoing modernisation programme and the need for stronger legislative oversight and statutory support.

Speaking at the retreat, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, urged the lawmakers to review the legal framework governing customs administration, arguing that Nigeria’s trade laws must evolve alongside emerging trends in international commerce and customs management.

Adeniyi said effective legislative oversight could only be achieved when lawmakers had a comprehensive understanding of the changing nature of customs operations and the reforms being implemented by the Service.

He explained that the retreat was designed to bridge existing information gaps and provide members of the Senate committee with a clearer understanding of the transformation taking place within the NCS.

According to him, such understanding would enable the lawmakers to provide informed oversight and the statutory backing required to sustain the Service’s modernisation agenda.

“While some provisions had worked as intended, others had proved difficult to apply or had been overtaken by the rapidly changing trade environment.

“We are requesting considerable amendments to ensure the Act remains relevant to fast-moving trade policies and supports the Service’s modernisation agenda,” Adeniyi said.

The Customs boss stressed that although the Service currently enjoys strong support from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the NCS Board under the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, lasting reforms require statutory protection that goes beyond the tenure of any particular administration.

He said legislative amendments would provide the institutional stability required to consolidate the gains of the ongoing reforms and ensure that future administrations could build on the foundation already being laid.

Highlighting the breadth of the NCS modernisation programme, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Human Resources Development, Tijani Abbey, outlined several initiatives being implemented to transform customs administration.

Among them are the deployment of the indigenous B’Odogwu Trade Management System, intelligence-driven post-clearance audits, the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme, coordinated border management and end-to-end digital process integration.

These initiatives, he explained, are aimed at improving revenue collection, facilitating legitimate trade, reducing human intervention in customs processes and strengthening national security.

The reforms are also expected to enhance transparency, improve compliance and make Nigeria’s trading environment more competitive by aligning customs procedures with international best practices.

Responding, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs, Senator Isah Jibrin, commended the NCS for surpassing its revenue targets despite the operational challenges confronting the Service.

Jibrin assured the Customs management that the National Assembly was prepared to provide the legislative support required to consolidate the Service’s achievements and address identified constraints.

“What you need to do is to identify your challenges, try to address them as much as possible, so as to have a much more robust, inclusive, and beyond-budget performance. Where you require legislative backing, please do not hesitate to call on us,” Jibrin advised.

The Senate committee chairman also congratulated Adeniyi on his re-election as Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Council, describing the feat as a reflection of Nigeria’s growing influence in global customs administration and international trade.

The retreat therefore marked a significant step towards closer collaboration between the NCS and the legislature, particularly at a time when Nigeria is seeking to modernise its trade architecture, increase revenue mobilisation and improve the efficiency of its borders and ports.

For the Customs Service, the proposed amendment of the Act is not merely about changing outdated provisions but creating a legal framework capable of supporting a technology-driven, intelligence-led and globally competitive customs administration.

Customs

NCS intercepts container concealing pump-action rifle parts, seizes ₦373.8m worth of cannabis products at Tincan Port

Gloria Odion, Maritme reporter

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a container concealing components of pump-action rifles and seized cannabis-infused products with a combined street value of ₦373.8 million at the Tincan Island Port Command in Lagos.

Announcing the seizures on Thursday, August 6th,2016, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the operations as a major breakthrough in the Service’s sustained campaign against the importation of prohibited items that pose serious threats to national security and public health.

Addressing journalists alongside representatives of other security agencies, Adeniyi said the seizures underscore the NCS’ unwavering commitment to protecting Nigeria’s borders through intelligence-driven enforcement and enhanced risk management.

According to him, Container No. TEMU 184536/9, which arrived aboard MV VELIKA on July 8, 2026, was flagged by the Service’s intelligence-based risk management system and placed under intensive surveillance before undergoing a detailed physical examination at the Customs Enforcement Station.

The examination uncovered concealed crates containing knocked-down components preliminarily identified as JoJeff pump-action rifles.

The Customs boss disclosed that the recovered firearm components are currently undergoing comprehensive technical examination and inventory to determine their exact quantity and configuration.

Adeniyi further revealed that investigations extended beyond the seizure, leading to the arrest of one suspect on July 31, 2026, at the Migfo Bonded Terminal while attempting to facilitate the release of the container.

He explained that documentary evidence, financial records and telecommunications analysis established the suspect’s connection with the named consignee, including a ₦10,000 payment traced to a company account linked to the consignee on the day of the arrest.

According to the CGC, two suspects are currently in Customs custody assisting investigators, while another principal suspect remains at large and is being actively tracked by security operatives.

In a separate operation, Customs officers intercepted two 40-foot containers conveying cannabis-infused products cleverly concealed alongside two used vehicles, two used pumping generators, rolls of blue polypropylene spunbond fabric, new tubular batteries and thunder arrester cables.

The seized narcotic products include:
109 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused pre-roll cookies containing 8,720 pieces, weighing 17.44kg, with a street value of ₦308,792,640.
125 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused gummies comprising 740 packs, weighing 515.2kg, valued at ₦40,700,000.

Others are 73 cartons of cannabis-infused cookies comprising 442 packs, weighing 309.4kg, with a street value of ₦24,310,000.

The total street value of the intercepted cannabis-infused products was put at ₦373,802,640.

Adeniyi noted that the interceptions demonstrate the growing sophistication of transnational criminal networks exploiting legitimate international trade channels to smuggle illicit arms and narcotic substances into the country.

He said the successful operations also validate the effectiveness of the Nigeria Customs Service’s intelligence-led enforcement strategy, advanced risk profiling systems and robust collaboration with sister security and law enforcement agencies.

The Comptroller-General reaffirmed the Service’s resolve to dismantle criminal networks engaged in smuggling, stressing that every individual connected to the illegal operations would be identified, apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“Nigeria’s ports will never serve as safe havens for the trafficking of illicit weapons, narcotics or other prohibited goods,” Adeniyi declared.

He commended officers and men of the Tincan Island Port Command and the Customs Enforcement Unit for their vigilance, professionalism and dedication, which culminated in the successful interceptions.

The CGC also acknowledged the continued support of sister security and law enforcement agencies in safeguarding the nation’s borders.

Reassuring Nigerians of the Service’s commitment to its statutory mandate, Adeniyi said the Nigeria Customs Service would remain resolute in securing the nation’s borders, facilitating legitimate trade and preventing the importation of prohibited and dangerous goods.

He urged members of the public to continue providing credible intelligence to support the fight against smuggling and transnational organised crime, adding that the Service would keep Nigerians informed as investigations progress and the prosecution of the suspects begins.