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Customs

Adeniyi to engage Customs administration of Benin Republic on collaborative efforts to stem transborder crimes, smuggling

Wale Adeniyi, Ag, CGC
—- hails appointment of Tinubu as ECOWAS Chairman
The Eyewitness Reporter
The Nigeria Customs Service and the Customs Administration of Benin Republic are to engage in a strategic discussion on how to tackle inter-border smuggling activities across the two countries as well as improve border security.
To this end, Wale Adeniyi, the Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service will soon head to the neighbouring country to engage his Beninous counterpart on the need to tackle these challenges and explore other areas of collaboration for the mutual benefit of both countries.
Adeniyi made this disclosure against the backdrop of his private visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on July 11th, 2023 where he engaged the president on regional integration, cooperation, border security and coordinated monetary affairs.
“I will be paying an official visit to the Republic of Benin, to have discussions with the Customs Administration of Benin to address the issues of border security, importation across the border, and more importantly, the deployment of technological solutions to very complex border problems,” he added.
Adeniyi, who was excited at the appointment of Tinubu as the new ECOWAS Chairman, noted that the appointment coincided with his own appointment as the CGC which he hoped will bring better regional integration, cooperation, border security and coordinated monetary affairs.
According to him, part of the discussions with President Tinubu is to actively engage Customs administrations across the borders, particularly the strategic ones and collaborate to achieve common objectives of border security and regional integration.
He also seized the opportunity to express profound gratitude to Mr President for finding him worthy to be the Acting Comptroller General of Customs while stating that the opportunity to meet with the President is fruitful and engaging.
“Mr President is a very good listener. We had discussions regarding what Customs can bring to the table, in terms of actualizing  the vision of renewed hope for Nigeria, bridging the gaps in revenue generation, enforcement strategies, and most importantly, promoting port efficiency and competitiveness.”
The Acting Comptroller-General of Customs also assured of a pragmatic move towards decongestion of Nigerian ports to enhance revenue generation, facilitation of legitimate trade and suppression of smuggling.
“I am sure you are very familiar with the Presidential Advisory Council and there is a document which has been made public. Our discussions also centre around aligning the vision of Customs, the activities of Customs in short, medium and long terms with those nobles objectives set out in PAC documents,” he noted.
Addressing the rumour of integrating government agencies, Adewale said he is not privy to any information about that yet and further explained that, though there is a common base between all the agencies that are generating revenue for the Country and there are some cross-cutting issues.
 “There are some areas where we overlap and there are some areas where we can complement each other but in terms of bringing the agencies together under one organization, we are yet to get details of that and we will be waiting to get the details and see how that pans out,” he noted.
He further explained the ongoing processes to review the current situation against the objective of the border closure itself with the assurance that when the borders are reopened, it is not going to be the subject of rumour in any way.
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Customs

Customs threatens to arrest, prosecute air travellers carrying currency above $10,000 threshold without declaration.

-as Nigeria tightens its anti- money laundering laws
Gloria Odion 
The Nigeria customs service, in collaboration with other sister agencies, had engaged international airline operators in a sensitization exercise over the need to strengthen Nigeria’s anti- money laundering laws.
The sensitization programme, held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was meant to raise awareness on the importance of enforcing Nigeria’s currency declaration laws among inbound and outbound travellers.
The engemement addressed the role of airline personnel in ensuring compliance, especially in reminding passengers about declaration requirements through in-flight announcements, form distribution, and cooperation during customs checks.
Officials emphasised that any passenger carrying over the regulatory threshold, currently $10,000 or its equivalent, is required to make a declaration to the authorities.
Failure to comply, they warned, could result in seizure, investigation, and prosecution under Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.
Additional requirements discussed included the mandatory submission of electronic manifests (e-Manifests) before aircraft arrival, as well as complete passenger details such as names, countries of origin and destination, and flight numbers, stating that these records allow customs and security officers to conduct targeted risk assessments and enhance border surveillance operations.
Assistant Comptroller of Customs in charge of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit, Salihu Mas’ud, led the engagement and expressed confidence in the outcomes.
According to him, the Service has already implemented several operational tools to support effective enforcement.
“What we have achieved so far is to be able to sensitise them. We’ve gone round to check all the points.
” We have dedicated search rooms for secondary searches. There are dedicated posts for currency declarations, and they are in place.
” Announcements are also being made on the Public Address System. We have also gotten the commitment of the airline operators to ensure that these announcements are also being made on board their flights,” he said.
He added, “We expect higher compliance, and it will strengthen our enforcement mechanism.
” It also ensures that defaulters and violators of currency declarations are detected promptly and forwarded for necessary investigation and prosecution.”
The sensitisation session highlighted the importance of inter-agency collaboration in securing Nigeria’s borders and preventing illicit financial flows.
With growing concerns over terrorism financing and smuggling of undeclared funds, the NCS said sustained partnerships with airline operators, airport authorities, and intelligence agencies will remain key to its success.
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Customs

Customs trails scammers preying on innocent Nigerians over recruitment exercise 

— discredits fake CBT shortlist circulating online 
Gloria Odion 
The Nigeria Customs Service has discovered a fake press release falsely announcing the shortlisted candidates for a Computer -Based Test(CBT) for the recruitment into the service.
According to the statement by the Customs High command, the release was fraudulent, misleading and the handiwork of scammers who are preying on the impatience and gullibility of the applicants.
The Customs High Command however promised to go after the perpetrators of this falsehood and bring the to book.
The service however warned all the applicants not to fall prey to the antics of the scammers but exercise patience and await official notice about the recruitment exercise from all the Customs verified channels.
“The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has been drawn to a fake press release currently circulating on social media and other messaging platforms, falsely announcing the shortlist for a Computer-Based Test (CBT).
“The purported release falsely asserts that the CBT is scheduled to take place in July, 2025  as part of the ongoing NCS recruitment exercise.
“The NCS wishes to categorically state that the said press release is fraudulent, misleading, and did not emanate from the Nigeria Customs Service.
“At no time did the Service issue any such announcement regarding a CBT slated to take place in July 2025.
“Upon close scrutiny, it is clear that the fake statement contains several discrepancies, particularly in its formatting.
” The e-signature format differs from our official standard and the recruitment timeline mentioned shows a faulty structure that is not connected to any legitimate process.
“The Nigeria Customs Service understands the interest of many Nigerians in its ongoing recruitment process and urges the public not to engage with, share, or act upon such unverified content.
” Authentic information about NCS activities, including its ongoing recruitment exercises, will be published only on our official website, verified social media platforms, and recognised national newspapers.
” The Service is taking steps to trace the origin of this false information and will take appropriate action to hold those responsible accountable.
“When the Service is set to begin the next phase of the recruitment process, the public will be duly notified through appropriate channels.
“The NCS deeply appreciates the vigilance of concerned Nigerians.
“We reaffirm our commitment to protecting the public from misinformation, ensuring all our processes uphold the highest standards of transparency and integrity” the statement concluded.
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Customs

Apapa Customs shuts three bonded terminals over unwholesome practices, collects N1. 378 trillion revenue in six months 

Funso OLOJO / Gloria Odion 

The Apapa port command of the Nigeria customs service has collected the sum of N1.378 trillion revenue in the first half of 2025.
The revenue  represents a 35 percent increase above the N1.023 trillion collected within the same period in 2024, marking a N354 billion increase in revenue collection.
Making this declaration on Thursday, July 3rd, 2025, the Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, said the half year of 2025 has been outstanding in revenue collection, trade facilitation, enhanced stakeholder engagement, deployment of technology, improvement in compliance, and uncompromising discipline.
“We surpassed our collection trajectory and revenue target, achieving laudable milestones, including the issuance of the first Single Goods Declaration (SGD) using the BODE platform on the 9th of May 2025.
“This marks a significant shift towards faster and more reliable cargo handling. We have deployed a robust platform that facilitates trade and ensures timely clearance of cargo, addressing challenges such as poor network connectivity, delays, and congestion associated with the former system” Olomu declared.
Meanwhile, Comptroller Olomu disclosed that three bonded terminals within the control of the command has been sealed for various infractions on the terms and conditions of their license.
He said one of them has even been charged to court.
Sources however whispered to our reporter that the affected terminals may have compromised on revenue returns to the command and been complicit in smuggling activities.
Olumu further declared that nine  containers comprising unregistered pharmaceuticals, used clothing, expired margarine, wild animals’ skin, and codeine syrup were seized by the command  during the period under review.
“These form part of the twenty-seven 27 containers seized between January and June 2025, with a duty paid value (DPV) of N9,267,443,966.00.
“The seizures include 10 containers of unregistered pharmaceuticals, two containers of codeine syrup, two containers of stolen vehicles, four containers of second-hand clothing and other sundry items.
“These seizures are part of our efforts to prevent Nigerians from consuming unwholesome foods and drugs, stop illicit trade, and protect our local industries. As a standard, we will not compromise the safety of Nigerians on the altar of trade facilitation.
“Prominent on the list of the 28 seizures made by the command during the period under review are unregistered pharmaceuticals, controlled drugs, used clothing, codeine syrup, wild animals’ skin, and other sundry items.
“It is pertinent to note that trafficking of wild animals contravene the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which Nigeria is a signatory to.
“Additionally, on the detention list is a container of matches imported without the required End User Certificate (EUC) as provided for in our extant laws.
Very recently, under the guidance of the CGC, we opened discussions with officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and other stakeholders from various associations on developing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the movement of goods by rail from Apapa Port to other states.
These talks have shown great prospects for success, with pledges of support and anticipation for robust participation by all concerned. This effort to revive cargo movement by rail aims to decongest the port, reduce pressure on Apapa roads, and provide a viable and cost-effective cargo movement option for importers, exporters, freight forwarding practitioners, haulage operators, and licensed customs agents.
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