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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, welcomed Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Olukayode Afeni as its 30th Acting Comptroller, as Comptroller Gambo Aliyu retired from the Service.
The handing-over ceremony, held at the unit’s conference hall, drew friends, colleagues and well-wishers of both officers. Acting Customs Area Controllers of the Port and Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML), Ogun 1 Area Command and the Enugu/Ebonyi/Anambra command were among those present.
In his inaugural address, Afeni pledged “purposeful, professional and accountable leadership” and thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the Service’s management for their confidence in him.
He said his administration would pursue “intelligence-led enforcement”, block revenue leakages and protect Nigeria’s economic and security interests.
Enforcement, he stressed, would be “firm, lawful and respectful of human dignity”, while legitimate trade would be facilitated through engagement with traders, manufacturers, importers, exporters and customs brokers.
Afeni also called for stronger collaboration with sister agencies to combat trans-border crimes, including the illicit movement of drugs, arms, currency and counterfeit goods.
He promised to prioritise officers’ welfare, professional development, discipline and regular sporting activities to promote fitness, teamwork and work-life balance.
In his handing-over address, Aliyu said his tenure focused on combating smuggling, revenue fraud, concealment, under-declaration and false declaration.
The unit intercepted 779 smuggling attempts, including:
– Over 20,900 bags of foreign parboiled rice
– 61 used vehicles
– 4,418 jerrycans of vegetable oil
– 12,606 parcels of cannabis weighing 6,194.3kg
– 2.30kg of cocaine
– Over 3,000 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (76,505 litres)
– 22 elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg
– Thousands of used compressors and clothing items, and foreign poultry products
The seizures had a total duty-paid value of N13,075,056,616.00.
On revenue, the unit recovered N3,192,511,547.52 between 10 December 2025 and 24 September 2026. That is 798 percent of its N400 million annual target for 2026 and a 776 percent increase over the N411,451,901.18 recovered in the same period of 2025.
Aliyu credited the performance to enhanced risk profiling, stricter compliance checks, targeted scrutiny of suspicious declarations, teamwork and collaboration with sister agencies and stakeholders, stressing that “no enforcement agency can succeed in isolation”.
Aliyu congratulated his successor, assured him of a strong operational foundation and urged him to “lead with fairness, firmness, courage and sound judgment”.
He thanked officers for their loyalty, discipline and resilience, and prayed for the Service’s continued growth and the security of Nigeria.
