By Stephen Ubanna
Ben Nkem Oramalugo, Ph.D, is a happy man. Oramalugo’s source of happiness was that he was redeployed from the Oyo /Osun Command last March to Seme Command last with the Comptroller’s rank but had retired with the Assistant Comptroller General’s rank, Rank, on September 2, 2025.
Until his retirement, there were rumours making the rounds that his tenure might be extended to reward him for his good job at the SEeme /Krake joint border where he had given a running battle to the smugglers, regarded in Customs circles as economic saboteurs.
The former Seme Command Area Controller who knew from the on the set that he has a major task at hand to restore total sanity along the Lagos- Abidjan corridor, when he was elected the Chairman of the dead security agencies Committee, at the busiest Seme/Krake joint border had moved in action. It would be recalled that until his assumption of office at the Seme Command, which shares office with the neighbouring West African country of Republic of Benin, which shares, there was total Confusion at the busiest border in the West and Central African sub-region as the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS , and other security agencies personnel including the border Patrol , at the joint border Community were virtually doing Customs job.
The then Compt. Oramalugo, who had retired with the ACG, rank, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Security Committee of the Seme joint Border was said to have impressed it upon his colleagues to call their officers to order to ensure that they restrict themselves to their Constitutional responsibility instead of interfering in Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, job of monitoring the movement of cargoes along the border or involved in routine Check of cross-border vehicles to ascertain what the drive is carrying and drop suspected traveller’s bag for thorough check instead of allowing the Customs personnel to their job. The situation was worse around the Gbaji bridge, where the NIS, officers, particular, believes that it is their responsibility to delve into NCS, job instead of looking out for illegal immigrants.
The good news was that ACG. Oramalugo, has restored total sanity along the Abidjan corridor that cross-border traders and genuine trade are now happy plying the road as the artificial traffic created by these other security agencies doing Customs job had disappeared.
Dressed in his designed ‘’Babariga’’ native wear on Wednesday to office on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, Dr. Oramalugo, who was said to have spent much of last week and now, playing host to Colleagues from other security agencies, including friends and associates, who had come to come to congratulate for his new rank and bowing out from the Service with his head high and introducing changes at the Seme/Krake joint border that would outlive him, has one message for the officers and men of the Service: Be proud of wearing the Customs uniform and ensure you do not compromise in doing your job.
Abdullahi Maiwada, an Assistant Comptroller and Customs spokesperson , who had issued a statement after the decoration of the newly appointed ACGs and DCGs, after the 63rd Board meeting presided over by Hon. Wale Edun , minister of Finance and Coordinating minister of the economy, on Tuesday, Spt.2, 2025, had confirmed that 312 senior officers were promoted which included four DCGs, 12 ACGs, and other ranks to fill the vacancies created by recent retirements in the Management Team due to the retirements in the Management Team, Zonal and Command levels. The Customs spokesperson had said that the elevation of the 312 senior officers to strengthen the Service and ensure equitable representation within the Management structure’’.
A senior officer who spoke to the Value News online on condition of anonymity had confirmed that the Board may have had difficulty in the case of Dr. Oramalugo, the author of ‘’Customs Administration in Nigeria’’, as information had filtered out that the Board had the option of giving him a one year extension because of his enormous contribution for the Service in its anti-smuggling operations in all the interventionist Units he had served across the country.
He was said to have made a mockery of the smugglers forcing many of them to abandon the dirty business and turn a new leaf. This was the case at the Kebbi, Oyo/Osun and Seme, which was the last Command he had served. Hon. Edun led Customs Board may have appreciated his efforts to have compensated him with the ACG, rank, which many believes is more prestigious than the much-talked about one year extension of service.
Perhaps, two Customs Controllers whose elevation to the enviable rank of ACG, were applauded at maritime circles were Babatunde Olomu, a former Area Controller of Apapa Command, who incidentally is Ph.D, holder because of his continuous search for knowledge in order to contribute meaningfully to the development and growth of the Service, described in Customs circles as a revenue mobilizer and AB Shuaibu, an anti- smuggling Czar.
Others were TM Daniyan. former Area Controller of Port Multi-services Terminal Limited, PTML, who have had the privilege of overseeing the implementation of the pilot phase of the B’Odogwu Platform, before its expansion to APA, Tin-can Island and PortHarcourt Area II, Onne, Commands, K Mohammed and B Mohammed, both from the North wet geo-political region, OP. Olaniyan, and IK Oladeji. The duo of Olaniyan and Oladeji, hails from the south west region as the CGC. The last but the least of the newly appointed ACGs was CC Dim, from the south east region.
Compt. Dim, may have been elated to the ACG rank as ACG Oramalugo, who was one of the beneficiaries of the newly appointed members of the Management team is on the retirement list and former ACG Dera Nnadi, a Customs Public Relations guru and who had battled fraudulent importers with their agents as a one -time DC. Enforcement, Tin-can Island Command and Area Command, Seme Command has been moved to DCG rank, alongside three others.
AC. Maiwada had alluded to the fact that the Customs Board had also put smiles on the faces of other senior officers who were moved to their next ranks in the Service ranging from Assistant Superintendents, Superintendents, Assistant Comptrollers to the enviable rank of rank of Comptrollers.
It would be recalled that 202 junior officers from the Service from the rank of Assistant Inspectors were promoted to Customs Assistant I, during the sixth Management meeting of the Service, chaired by Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, the Customs Comptroller General, CGC, on August 29, 2025. Maritime analysts had described the new Management team of the NCS, as being carefully selected, an indication that the officers have something to bring to the table to move the Service forward and to justify Nigerian Chairmanship of the World Customs Organization, WCO.
Given the confidence reposed on the new Management that would pilot the affairs of the Service, may have informed why the CGC, who could not hide his feelings had urged ‘’to live up to the thrust place on them by the Board’’.
He had used the opportunity provided in inducting the newly appointed ACGs and DCGs, into the Management team, by restating ‘’the Service commitment ‘’to innovation, inclusivity, transparency and excellence in service delivery’’, giving kudos to the minister and Chairman of the Customs Board for his ‘continued support and guidance’’.
