By Stephen Ubanna
Not many are surprised why Compt. Bamidele Makinde , Area Controller , Ogun, 1,Command have suddenly woken up from slumber to block all the illegal smugglers routes in the border Local government Areas, lgaS, of Ogun, Olusegun Obasanjo a former Nigerian President, home state with the neighbouring west African country of Republic of Benin.
From Ipokia, Imeko Afon, to Yewa North, LGA, the story is the same, no breather for the smugglers. .Informed sources told The Value News that initially when Comp. Makinde assumed duties at Iidiroko as the Area Controller of the Command, on in January 2022, to replace Compt. Dera Nnadi, the then Area Comptroller, who was said to have proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos , Plateau state , there was no sign that he will deliver on the Comptroller General’s mandate
The fear became pronounced as DC,Hussain Kehinde Ejibunu, the Area Controller of the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, and his Patrol Team officers to come into the Commodities in the Border LGAs to make spectacular Cntraband seizures, including thousands o bags of Foreign Parboiled rice and go to win the heart of Hameed Ali, a retired Army Colonel and the Customs boss as a hardworking officer.
A senior Customs officer who spoke to the Value News on condition of anonymity had confirmed that between October, 2022 and now, smugglers of the Foreign par boiled rice , Cannabis Sativa, popular, Indan Hemp, grown from the West African country of Ghana and smuggled into the Nigerian market through inappropriate routes and the Creeks in the state may have realised that it is no longer business as usual.
This is because of the tight security that has been mounted around the Idiriko, , Oniro, Ita Egbe, Ihumbo, Oke Odan, Ilashe, Ilaro and Ajilete Areas of the state by the Command anti-smuggling officers who are working on the instructions of the Area Controller.
Recall that when Compt. Bello Jibo, now an Assistant Comptroller General, ACG, Customs Headquarters, was the Area Comptroller of Seme Command, smugglers who could not cope with the superior fire power of the Command Patrol Team Officers, Particular, the Operations Team, headed by Assistant Compt. Abubakar, Dankigari, had relocated to the Idiroko in Ipokia axis of the state to carry out their nefarious activities.

Compt. Mankinde may have found it worrisome as VIP .Petrol and Cannabis Sativa smugglers as well as Cannibis Sativa smugglers have in the state always fall into the waiting hands of Deputy Compt. Ejibunu , the Area Controller of FOU, Zone A’s officers on the road as the Command make little or no substantial Conraband seizures.
The situations appear to have changed over the last six months, according to informed sourcs, when he eventually linked up with the anti-smuggling Czar, DC. Ahmadu Shuaibu, overseeing the Affairs of Ogun I, Command with Headquarters in Abeokuta, the state Capital, and who incidentally has headed the Comptroller General of Customs Strike Force, Team A, Lagos, where he made landmark Contraband seizures, notwithstanding the large size FOU, zone A, and its area of coverage in the south western states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ondo.
He may have known that he needed to tap on the Ogun I, Area Controller’s experience in anti-smuggling operations and he did not hesitate in doing so, which is now yielding results. This is evident going by what is happening around the Seme Jurisdictions as most of the smugglers operating at the Idiroko axis, have relocated to the area as they could no longer bear Compt. Makinde and his , Patrol Team officers’ heat in the state.
The seizure of $6 million of the North American country of the United States fake dollar at the notorious Gbaji checkpoint and the Command interception of six Maltese International Passports with the same picture of a Lady but bearing different names along Gbethrome base by Comptroller Nnadi’s men within a few weeks in office speaks volume.
Also the recent seizure of 537 parcels of Cannabis Sativa , valued at about N10 million , which had remained a major smuggled drug in Ogun state, for much of last year , bear eloquent testimony to the fact that the Cannabis Sativa smugglers are gradually relocating to the Seme axis to continue their nefarious trade but are not finding it easy.
Compt. Makinde, may have shown that he and his anti-smuggling officers are now in total control of the border Communities in the state and not ready to give any room to other inter interventionist Units to come and make seizures with ease going by what the Command Patrol Team officers are doing, particular, around the Abeokuta axis.
Note that the Abeokuta axis of the state, Used to be dominated by the FOU, Zone A, Lagos Roving, Patrol Team Officers, headed by Deputy Comptroller Jack Okpabi, then as an Assistant Comptroller, in making Contrband seizures.
Comptroller Makinde’s Patrol Team officers may have taken over control of the Area as there is hardly a week when the Ogun II, Patrol Team officers would not transfer one truck load of contraband items or a branded Company truck concealed with Contraband items to the Ogun I, premises to be deposited in the Government Warehouse. The Ogun I, Command may not have had any need for the Government Warehouse as it has nothing to do with anti-smuggling operations but with the Excise Factory Operators and to collect government revenue from them which it is doing very well.
While presenting the report of the Ogun I, anti-smuggling operations, between January and March, 2023, recentlya n elated Compt. Makinde, who believes that the Command Patrol Team Leaders and their members have done exceedingly well had said that that it made a total of 181 Contraband seizures which include 12,610, bags of Foreign parboiled rice of 50 Kg each, 77,000 litres of Petrol, which are equivalent of 21 trucks load.
The Command within the period under review, he further had intercepted and seized 446 cartons of imported Cigarettes that were said to have been labelled and addressed the Asian country of China’s language contrary to the Customs and Excise Management Act, CEMA, Cap. 2004 and the 2023, Fiscal policy.
There is no gain saying the fact that the Customs Comptroller, may have kept ‘’to his promise and commitment ‘’to intensify more efforts in making the border Communities between Nigeria and Benin Republic , in the state a safer place for, the business Community by strengthening and sustaining the existing synergy with other sister agencies.
Many believe the cordial working relationship with the border Communities, particular, the Youths who are used to aiding and abetting the smugglers may have turned things around for the Command, this time around as they give out information freely.
The conduct of the Command Patrol Teams officers on the road and those at the checkpoints at the various locations in the state gives an insight to the Area Controller’s policy of ‘’no Comprmise ‘’as no officer wants to play into the Comptroller’s hand to face the disciplinary Committee.