By Stephen Ubanna
Not may are surprised why Compt. Babatunde Olomu, calm looking and athletic -built Area Controller Apapa Command, is making appreciable impact in dealing with fraudulent-turned importers with their agents at the Lagos port Apapa port of Apapa.
The Customs Comptroller appears to have leveraged on his role as the acting Area Controller, of Cross rive /Akwa Ibom Command and a one-time DC, Apapa Command, where he had penetrated the ranks of the agents that he was getting credible information on imports through the port into the country that he was making spectacular seizures.
It was therefore not very surprising that when he was appointed the Area Controller of the Apapa Command, which Industry operators had aid handles over 60% of the cargo imports into the country he did not have much difficulty in dealing decisively with the smugglers.
The Customs Comptroller may have taken advantage of the recent of Martin Iluyomade, Director, Inspection and Enforcement, of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control, NAFDAC, under the close watch of Mojisola Christianah, a professor, to speak out on how the Command had been able to beat the port smugglers to their own game.
The Apapa Command Area Controller who had said that the Command under his leadership will always be ‘’ahead of the smugglers by ways employing intelligence with uncompromising enforcement to prevent prohibited items from being imported into the country through the port has sustained the efforts.
Compt. Olomu, was said to have told Iluyomade, the NAFDAC, Director, who incidentally is the Chairman, the National Task Force on Fake, Substandard Drugs and unwholesome Food, on Monday, August 18, 2025, that the Command , under his Leadership is committed to the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, between Adeniyi, the Customs Comptroller General, CGC and the NAFDAC, Director General, ‘’aimed at preventing smuggling of items under the agency’s regulatory view’’
The Customs CGC, may have provided ammunition for the Command to make spectacular seizures at the Apapa port in the recent months when he disclosed that the fraudulent turned- smugglers had resorted ‘’to carrying out their nefarious activities in Nigeria by going to countries with weaker pharmaceutical export controls to exploit the regulatory loopholes’’.
Information making the rounds shows that some of these importers turned -smugglers usually place their orders for the fake drugs, medicine and unwholesome Food in the Asian countries of China, India, Hongkong and Taiwan, and channel it to countries like Balkans, Belarius, Ukraine, Cuba, Central African Republic , CAR, Democratic Republic of Cogo, DRC, Liberia, Cote de’Ivoire ,and several other countries with weak export policies which found their way into Nigeria as a different import.
Taking a critical assessment of the Contraband seizures that had been made by the Apapa Command in the last couple of months and to ascertain where the cargoes had originated from may have given Compt. Olomu and his Enforcement Unit officers to boldness to track the fake drugs, medicine and unwholesome food with ease. The recent seizure of 32 Containers concealed with fake drugs, medicine and unwholesome food items speaks volume.
Given that Cmpt. Olomu and his Enforcement officers had been on the alert to ensure that all cargo imports into the country through the Apapa port are properly scrutinized before exit from the port may have exposed some of the new tactics that had been developed by the importers with the involvement of the international criminal Network spread the world- over.
The no nonsense Compt. Olomu, who has given the Command Enforcement Unit all the necessary support to do their job was said to have informed the NAFDAC Director that ‘’the renewed tactics of the fraudulent importers to use fake declaration numbers and false declarations’’ to take delivery of their Containers carrying prohibited items have always failed as his officers have always been on the alert.
Many believes that the Apapa Command Area Controller, had taken a bold initiative and sustained efforts’’ to achieve arrest of suspects connected with the seizure of the 32 Containers in order to hand them have over to NAFDAC, for interrogation and furth investigations.
An elated Olomu, who had given the importers turned -smugglers at the Apapa port a battle of their life was said to further told the Apapa port NAFDAC, Director, who was on a recent working visit to the Command that ‘’arresting the importers with their agents involved in the criminal acts is a major to demobilize the human element influence in the smuggling supply chain cycle and forestall others from engaging in such illegal activities in future.
The good news was that there had not been any sell-out by the officer,s particular, those in the Enforcement Unit, as they were said to have joined the Customs Area Controller and the CGC, in ‘’imbibing zero tolerance for smuggling and will do the needful to avoid situations where the Country’s import Prohibition list are flouted over the lives of Nigerians which are endangered ‘’ by what they eat , drink or by the use of arms and ammunition brought into the country illegally’’Calling the importers, economic saboteurs, he had likened them as having ‘’declared war on Nigerians’’ for their own personal gain.
In the spirit of inter-agency good working relationship may have informed why the 32 seized Containers by the Apapa Command which had attracted the presence of the CGC, on August 10, 2025, had personally supervised the handed over to the sister agency justifying their recently signed MOU.
Compt. Olomu may have given the NAFDAC Director a piece of his mind over the agency’s delay in evacuating the 32 Containers with Concealed fake pharmaceutical products, drugs and unwholesome, urging him to expedite action in do so to free more space to accommodate other seized Containers. Iluyomade, was said to have promised to reach out to the Head office to fciitate the evacuation of the Containers that had been handed over to the agency for necessary action.
He had given kudos to Compt. Olomu, for being ‘’uncompromising and being a role model to the officers which was said to have resulted in making what he had called ‘’life saving seizures’’. Decribing Compt. Olomu as a goal -getter, he had confirmed that ‘’Apapa Command’s anti-smuggling efforts have evolved for the better’’ since Olomu was deployed to the Area by the CGCC.
He had said the award of the award of the Customs Comptroller of the year 2024, on Olomu and other awards won by the Command under his Leader, bear eloquent testimony that that ‘’it was well- deserved ‘’. Speaking as a top official of NAFDAC, who had seen Customs Comptrollers come and go at the Apapa Command, he had said that none has been committedto their job as Olomu, who had made much sacrifice to reposition the Command and truly make the best in Customs operations: Trade Facilitation, revenue collection and enforcement.
