Customs

Jubilation in Customs as Tinubu sacks Hameed Ali as CGC

Wale Adeniyi, Ag, CGC

The eyewitness reporter

There was wild jubilation among the men and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service over the sack of Hameed Ali as the Comptroller General of Customs.

It would be recalled that President Ahmed Tinubu, Monday, approved the sack of the retired Colonel in a major shake-up in the military and paramilitary circle.

He was replaced by DCG Wale Adeniyi.

The happy mood among the officers also seeped into the rank of the freight forwarders who equally heaved a sigh of relief at the unceremonious exit of a maximum ruler who ruled the customs as his fiefdom.

“He suffocated and polluted the benign atmosphere in the customs for eight years he reigned with his draconian laws and jackboot administration.

“His sack was a welcome development, good riddance to bad rubbish.

“It could have come much earlier” a jubilant officer who pleaded for anonymity, said.

It could be recalled that in 2015, former President Buhari brought Ali, a non-career Customs Officer Col(rtd) Ali, to head the service under the pretext of reforming and repositioning the Customs in a bid to raise the revenue profile of the organization.

“If he has any strand of moral fibre left in him, he should have left with his principal who imposed him on the service against the wish of career officers” an anonymous source noted.

“If I were him, I would have gone with my principal and not waited to be booted out the way he was eased out in an undignified manner,” another source said.

It was gathered that Ali received the news of his sack in far-away Brussels in Belgium where he was attending the World Customs Organization (WCO) conference.

“What an ignoble way to go out when he could have honourably resigned his position earlier than now when his principal left the office” a freight forwarder noted.

Most of the officers spoken to, who passionately pleaded for anonymity for fear of victimisation, declared that Ali’s eight years in Customs has done more harm to the collective psyche of the officers, and the general good of the service.

According to the respondents, apart from the regular promotions which officers benefitted as well as robust welfare packages and the enhanced revenue profile of the service, they claimed the service has not fared any better under the jackboot reign of the ex-soldier.

“He came to distort the auctioning system in the service which we use to dispose of abandoned cargos in a bid to stave off port congestion.

“But since he introduced his now moribund e – auctioning system, there has been a stockpile of abandoned cargos that had rotten away at the port.

“Go to the border stations across the country, seized cars as well as edible products like rice are there rotten.

“Go to the customs government warehouses, especially in Lagos, they are filled to the brim with seized goods and vehicles that are now rotten” a respondent lamented.

“The system he and his principal, Buhari, adopted to dispose of the edible products such as rice and vegetable oil to the Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs) camps, especially in the North East, is fraught with fraud as most of these items were diverted for personal use” another source alleged.

“Given his military background, the Federal Operations Units of the service, under him, became more vicious and cold-blooded in their operations as there were rampant cases of killing, maiming of innocent citizens and indiscriminate raiding of markets and warehouses across the country” another source observed.

“Under his leadership, corruption was endemic” a non-Customs source claimed.

The source, who is a high-ranking freight forwarder plying his trade in Lagos ports, said despite the so-called automation system in customs, extortion reigned supreme under the nose of Ali who they accused of providing the enabling environment that make the ignoble act fester.

Another source also pointed out the controversial Customs modernisation project, which was spearheaded by Ali’s regime, as the biggest and most monumental fraud in the history of the Customs.

“What are they modernising?, an angry customs source asked rhetorically.

“Ali met modernised customs service whose operations are automated.

“We started the automated process with the ASYCUDA platform which has since been upgraded to a hi-tech operational process.

“What was needed was a continuous improvement in the automation process and capacity building for officers to match the fast-paced technical innovation in the global Customs operations

“To then conceive such fraud as Customs Modernisation project which conceded the revenue generation aspect of customs to outsiders, is not only ingenuously fraudulent but a de-service to the country” an irate source declared.

Another source observed that the increased revenue profile that the service witnessed under Ali and erroneously counted in his favour was nothing other than the function of the high exchange rate.

“You know that for some years now, the exchange rate has gone into a spin, spiraling out of control due to the forlorn economic policies of Ali’s principal.

“This has indeed helped to boost the revenue collection of the service.

“This should not by any means be attributed to any ingenious policy change of Ali or the so-called plugging of revenue leakages as corruption under the sacked CGC assumed the hydra-headed status of a monster”

The general mood among the men and officers of the Customs is that of big relief at the sack of the maximum ruler in the customs service.

They all hailed the appointment of Wale Adeniyi whom they described as their own and believed will have more empathy than his sacked predecessor.

“Oga Adeniyi is a thoroughbred customs officer who rose through the rank and knows the internal workings of the service” a jubilant officer declared.

“Officers will be glad to work with him to build customs of our dream” another respondent stated.

“Affliction will not rise again. Never again shall we have the misfortune of having a non-career officer as our CG.

“Thank God for the new Customs Act which bars people like Ali who are non-customs officers to become the CGC,” a customs source said.

The maritime media also caught the bug of happiness over the sack of Ali.

“He has no regard for journalists. He treated the media with arrogance and disdain.

” He was the worst thing to have ever happened to the customs in its over 100 years of existence” an obviously elated maritime journalist declared.

“We have watched Wale Adeniyi, the new CG, grow through the rank and we hope his exceptionally sharp public relations acumen will not be blunted by the lure and lucre of his new office.” another maritime media practitioner declared.

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6 Comments

Mustapha Baba suleman
June 21, 2023 at 8:54 pm
Pigs armored robbers why will you like Ali.
Dirty lots
Reply
Abdul Aziz
June 21, 2023 at 9:10 pm
You can say whatever you like about Hamid Ali but not corruption, he is one of the few honest people in this country. Take it or leave it he did very well as far as generating revenue is concerned,in fact in the history of custom no comptroller general has generated such revenue like him.
Reply
Francis adams
June 22, 2023 at 12:02 pm
There was no jubilation, we only jebiliated because the right man was brought in.
Reply
Realist
June 22, 2023 at 2:12 pm
Buhari planted his kinsmen into sensitive positions to plunder and maimed the system and succeeded in doing so. How do you expect a dunce, unintelligent person to choose than his sorts .
Reply
AGBEJE
June 22, 2023 at 3:10 pm
Mr. President, congratulations for a good start which even your avowed enemies cannot deny. Please as you settle down for the greater work of redeeming the nation, I suggest that you send a bill to the National Assembly to criminalise sale employment opportunities in public institutions to the highest bidders to allow the children of nobody to compete for employment in the public institutions. This rape is being perpetuated against Nigerians for over eight (8) year in collaboration with the Federal Character Commission. Some people think it is even part of APC Manifestos to sell employment in public institutions! Kindly ensure that someone in contravention goes to jail to send a signal to the demi-gods in charge of public institutions. Sir, if you do this and also stop the frivolous interventions by CBN I guarantee you unprecedented 15million votes for second tenure. Thank you Sir!
Reply
AMINA YAKUBU
June 24, 2023 at 9:48 pm
I AMINA YAKUBU I need to joy dis Nigeria customer service, I’m always replying the work I won’t see any action, oh my God, my people help me 08068051071
Reply

Customs

Customs PR officers dominate NCCSC graduation, clinch overall best honours

Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter

The Public Relations Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service has recorded a rare academic feat as two of its officers emerged the top graduating students at the Nigeria Customs Service Command and Staff College (NCCSC), Gwagwalada.

At the graduation ceremony for Senior Course 14 held on Friday,June 26th, 2026, Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) Ridwan Yusuf was named the Overall Best Graduating Student, capping an outstanding performance by winning three additional awards.

His colleague, CSC Nuruddeen Sa’idu, was named the Second Best Graduating Student, completing a remarkable sweep by officers from the Service’s Public Relations Unit.

The double honour highlights the intellectual depth, leadership capacity and professionalism within the Customs Public Relations Unit, demonstrating that its officers excel not only in strategic communication but also in administration, operational management and policy leadership.

Beyond the accolades, the achievement is expected to open another chapter in their careers, as both officers may be retained by the College as Directing Staff, in keeping with the institution’s tradition of engaging its highest-performing graduates to mentor future participants.

If confirmed, the appointments would recognise their exceptional academic and professional abilities while entrusting them with the responsibility of shaping the next generation of Customs leaders, although their absence would be keenly felt within the Public Relations Unit.

The Nigeria Customs Service Public Relations Unit congratulated both officers on their outstanding accomplishments and wished them continued success as they assume greater responsibilities in service to the nation.

Customs

Retirement gale sweeps through Customs as Olomu,Bomodi,Oladeji,Adeola,Adebakin, Niagwan among 1,516 officers set to exit service

Funso OLOJO, Editor

A massive retirement wave is set to rip through the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), with no fewer than 1,516 officers — including several top-ranking officers — pencilled down to leave the Service in 2026 and 2027 in what appears to be one of the largest personnel exits in the agency’s recent history.

The impending retirement storm, which cuts across virtually all cadres of the Service, will see officers from the rank of Deputy Comptroller-General down to Customs Assistant II bow out under statutory retirement provisions, leaving a major vacuum in the upper and middle ranks of the paramilitary agency.

Documents obtained by TheEyewitnessnews show that 825 officers are scheduled to retire in 2026, while another 691 are expected to leave in 2027, bringing the total number of exits within the two-year period to 1,516.

The retirement notices are contained in two restricted circulars issued by the Human Resources and Development Department of the Service and signed by the Comptroller, Establishment, A.A. Bazuaye, on behalf of the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Human Resources and Development.
The first circular, No. HRD/2025/048 dated September 19, 2025, contains what the Service described as the final list of 825 officers billed to retire in 2026.

A breakdown of the 2026 list shows that the Deputy Superintendent of Customs cadre accounts for the highest number of exits with 285 officers, followed by the Superintendent of Customs cadre with 226 officers.

Other cadres affected in the 2026 retirement exercise are Assistant Superintendent of Customs I with 64 officers; Chief Customs Officer, 53; Deputy Customs Officer, 51; Assistant Customs Officer, 46; Chief Superintendent of Customs, 61; Inspector of Customs, eight; Assistant Superintendent of Customs II, 10; Customs Assistant I, one; Customs Assistant II, two; Assistant Comptroller-General, 13; and Deputy Comptroller-General, five.

A second circular, No. HRD/2026/020 dated May 26, 2026, forwarded a draft list of 691 officers due for statutory retirement in 2027.

The 2027 retirement schedule shows that the Superintendent of Customs cadre will record the highest number of exits with 200 officers, followed by the Deputy Superintendent of Customs cadre with 193 officers.

Others on the 2027 list are Deputy Customs Officer, 81; Chief Superintendent of Customs, 68; Assistant Customs Officer, 57; Assistant Superintendent of Customs I, 39; Chief Customs Officer, 38; Assistant Superintendent of Customs II, four; Customs Assistant I, four; Customs Assistant II, four; Inspector of Customs, two; and Assistant Comptroller-General, four.

Both circulars directed all affected officers to proceed on mandatory pre-retirement leave in line with Public Service Rule 100238 and Federal Government Circular No. 63216/S.1/X/T; CR 1/2001/5 of March 20, 2001.

The directive stated that all officers due for retirement must disengage from active service and proceed on three months’ pre-retirement leave ahead of their effective retirement dates, while also forwarding their three-month pre-retirement notices to the Comptroller-General of Customs.

Among the senior officers affected in the 2026 retirement exercise are Deputy Comptrollers-General Omale (SVC No. 41148), who retired on June 7, 2026; Nnadi (SVC No. 43193), whose retirement took effect on March 3, 2026; Chiroma (SVC No. 42988), who is due to retire on September 23, 2026; and Adeola MRS (SVC No. 42972) and Niagwan (SVC No. 41524), both scheduled to retire on December 23, 2026.

Among the Assistant Comptrollers-General on the 2026 retirement list are Egwuh (SVC No. 38991), who retired on March 14, 2026; Umoh (SVC No. 41351), who exited the Service on February 2, 2026; Mohammed (SVC Nos. 41394 and 41395), both due to retire on June 24, 2026; and Abe (SVC No. 41110), whose retirement date is August 21, 2026.

Others listed for retirement include Olomu (SVC No. 41145), Olaniyan (SVC No. 41197), Yusuf (SVC No. 41257), Oladeji (SVC No. 41308) and Gaji (SVC No. 41328), all scheduled to retire on September 24, 2026.
Also on the list are Adebakin (SVC No. 41670) and Bomodi (SVC No. 42758), both due for retirement on September 23, 2026, as well as Nyam (SVC No. 40428) and Abubakar (SVC No. 40139), whose retirement dates are October 1, 2026, among others.

In the 2027 circular, the Service opened a window for complaints and corrections, directing that any observed error, omission or legitimate complaint arising from the attached retirement list should be forwarded to the office of the Deputy Comptroller-General, Human Resources and Development, on or before July 31, 2026.

To ensure the notices get to all affected officers, Zonal Coordinators, Area Controllers and Unit Heads were directed to circulate the retirement lists across commands and formations.

But beyond the raw figures, the sweeping retirement exercise has exposed a deeper structural imbalance in the Service.

Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise, Abejide Leke Joseph, traced the development to a prolonged recruitment gap and years of promotion stagnation in the Nigeria Customs Service.

According to him, a 16-year period of non-recruitment created an unusual personnel bulge, as officers within the 41000, 42000 and 43000 service number brackets rose through the ranks almost at the same pace and now find themselves hitting retirement age or service limits within the same window.

The result, he explained, is a top-heavy structure in which a large number of officers now occupy similar seniority levels and are due to leave almost simultaneously.
Abejide said the retirement of more than 1,500 officers should not be misconstrued as part of any succession plot within the Customs hierarchy, insisting that the exercise is a routine and legally mandated process under Public Service Rule 100238.

The development is coming against the backdrop of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of a final six-month tenure extension for the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, effectively keeping him in office until February 2027.
The Presidency announced on Friday that Adeniyi’s tenure, earlier scheduled to expire on August 1, 2026, had been extended by another six months to enable him complete key reforms in the Service.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the extension would allow the Customs boss to consolidate the implementation of the National Single Window project and also ensure an orderly succession process in the Service.

More significantly, the statement made it clear that Adeniyi would work with the Nigeria Customs Service Board during the transition period to oversee critical personnel decisions, including the promotion of eligible officers to the rank of Comptroller and the compulsory retirement of officers who have attained 60 years of age or put in 35 years in service.

That presidential directive effectively places Adeniyi at the centre of one of the most consequential personnel transitions in the recent history of the Nigeria Customs Service — a transition that will shape not only the next generation of Customs leadership, but also the internal balance of power within the Service.

Customs

Excitement as President Tinubu Extends CGC Adeniyi’s Tenure by Six Months

Funso OLOJO, Editor

A wave of excitement swept through the maritime industry following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of a six-month extension of the tenure of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi.

In a statement issued on June 19th, 2026, and signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu said the extension was necessary to enable Adeniyi to consolidate ongoing reforms, particularly the implementation of the National Single Window project, while also ensuring an orderly succession process within the service.

According to the Presidency, Adeniyi’s current tenure was due to expire on August 1st, 2026.

The six-month extension will now keep him in office until February 2027.

During the transition period, Adeniyi is expected to work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service Board to oversee the promotion of qualified officers to the rank of Comptroller of Customs and facilitate the compulsory retirement of officers who have attained the statutory retirement age of 60 years or completed 35 years in service.

Adeniyi joined the Nigeria Customs Service after graduating from Obafemi Awolowo University in the late 1980s.

He steadily rose through the ranks, becoming a Deputy Comptroller in 2012, Comptroller in 2017, Assistant Comptroller-General in 2020, and Acting Deputy Comptroller-General in January 2023 before being appointed Comptroller-General by President Tinubu in June 2023.

Maritime stakeholders who welcomed the development described the extension as an opportunity for the Customs boss to complete the far-reaching reforms he initiated within the service.

One freight forwarder, who preferred anonymity, described the decision as a positive development.

“This is a welcome development because it will enable the Comptroller-General to complete the reforms he has started in the Nigeria Customs Service,” he said.

“His tenure has been a watershed in the history of the NCS.

“The service has witnessed unprecedented transformation in its operations, revenue generation, trade facilitation, and anti-smuggling activities.

“Granting him an extension is a well-thought-out administrative decision by President Tinubu to allow him to complete these achievements.”

Another stakeholder said the extension reflects the confidence of the Presidency in Adeniyi’s leadership.

“The tenure extension is a clear endorsement of Adeniyi’s transformative leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service and the progress recorded under his administration,” the stakeholder remarked.

Industry observers believe the extension will provide continuity for ongoing modernization initiatives and help sustain the momentum of reforms aimed at enhancing trade facilitation, revenue collection, and border security.