By Stephen Ubanna
For years, past and Present Area Controllers of PortHarcourt Area II, Command, in the south eastern port of Onne, had battled to checkmate the activities of fraudulent importers with their agents who fly Containers loaded with illicit cargoes and drugs out of the port.
The situation was so bad that one or two Deputy Comptrollers overseeing the port exit gate who had refused to be compromised to give room for the illegalities to continue unchecked were seen as enemies. The aggrieved agents who were not happy at the turn of events at the port exit as they could no longer carry out their dirt deals were said to have petitioned Hammed Ali, a retired Army Colonel and the then Customs Comptroller General to remove the DC, who was making things difficult form them and thus forestalling trade facilitation.
The former Customs Comptroller General may have ignored them forcing them to resort to protest at the port to press home their demand but got it wrong. DC. Frank Oyeaka, who is now the acting Comptroller, Tin can Island Port, Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve- centre, who was a one-time , officer of the Onne port exit gate, who said to have ensured total security at the port exit gate during his tenure, may have forced some of the illegitimate traders to relocate to the Lagos ports and the neighbouring West African country of Republic of Benin port of Benin, Cotonou, to take delivery of their cargoes.
The then President Muhammadu Buhari strict Fiscal Policy measures and border closure between Nigerian and the West African country of Benin including Niger and the Central African country of Cameroun in the late ‘90s may have frustrated those importers with their agents who were used to doing dirty jobs at Onne port, the Lagos ports of Apapa, Tin can Island Port Multi-services Terminal , PTML, from taking delivery of the cargoes, fueling speculations making the rounds that there is no hiding place for economic saboteurs.
Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the incumbent Customs Comptroller General, who is not ready to witness a repeat of the rot at the Onne port where anything goes may have given Compt. Mohammed Babandede, the needed administrative backing to checkmate the activities of the fraudulent importers with their agents.
Worried at the series of alarming Contraband seizures, including fake pharmaceutical products, Tramadol, Analgen and other dangerous drugs including weapons at the Onne port, may have encouraged the Customs Comptroller General’’ to declare a state of emergency’’ at the south eastern port on September 4, 2024.
The Customs Comptroller General who could not hide his feelings had alluded to the fact that’’the Onne port had been used as a destination for importation and exit of illicit cargoes and dangerous drugs’’, describing it as a threat to the country’s national security and the health of the Nigerian youths.
The declaration of a state of emergency at the Onne port may have emboldened the PortHarcourt, II, Command, Area Controller, and his enforcement and terminal officers to go all out to deal decisively with the fraudulent importers with their agents and the unrepentant smugglers at the port.
Giving an account of what the Command had achieved in the last one year, under his Leadership, The Port Harcourt II, Command, Area who, may have taken advantage of the opportunity provided by the last media briefing to speak out on the Command’s anti-smuggling drive for the year and the remarkable achievements that was made was said to have described it as an impressive performance.
He had confirmed that the Command had made a total of 76 Container seizures of both, ‘’20’’ and ‘’40’’. Loaded with arms and ammunition, illicit pharmaceutical drugs, foreign processed vegetable oil, foot wares, donkey skin, used clothing, and other uncustomed goods used as Concealment with a total Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N150,872,551,207.00.
Ever since the Customs Comptroller General had declared a state of emergency at the port, it was said to have helped the Command to tighten up security at the port and further block areas of revenue leakage.This may have encourage an elated Compt. BAabandede, whose Command, had won the Nov.19, 2024, Comptroller General of Customs ‘’Best Command in Anti-smuggling Operations’’ held at Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to speak out.
The Command, which had beaten the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, which is basically an anti-smuggling Unit and other Interventionist Units, across the country, including, the FOU, Zone C, Owerri, Imo state, had said that the Command could make the remarkable achievements because of ‘’ongoing battle against smuggling and illicit trade’’ couple with the declaration of state of emergency at the port which is still in force.

He had had revealed that that the Command vigilant officers and men at the West African Container Terminal, WACT and other terminals superintended by the Command, had intercepted 12, additional Containers, of ‘’40’’, each loaded with illicit pharmaceutical products meant for sales in the Nigerian market.
Giving an insider information of the breakdown of the items found in the 12 intercepted and seized ‘’40’’ Containers, the PortHarcourt II, Command, Area Controller, may have shocked Nigerians when he disclosed that 721,100 bottles of 100ml, Codeine syrup, which had been prohibited from being imported into the country by the Nigerian Government, 10,000 tablets of 50 mg Rally Extra clofenac, 7,100,000, tablets of 125 mg, Royal apple Tramadol and Tra making, 3,461, pieces of sanitary ware fittings for concealment , 840 pieces of chilly cutter used for concealment and 153 cartons of TVS rubber. Valuation experts had put the value of the intercepted and seized illicit cargoes found in the 12 ‘’40’’ Containers at N20, 809,890,800.00 .

The Customs Comptroller, who could beat his chest of having performed exceedingly well and sustained the Command’s anti-smuggling records over the last couple of months, had said that ‘’it clearly shows the Command ‘’unwavering commitment to safeguarding public wealth, ensuring national security and compliance with the country’s import and export regulations’’. Compt. Babandede, had said that the Command efforts in its anti-smuggling drive also justifies its Commitment ‘’to trade facilitation, transparency effective and efficient service delivery at the port’’.
He was said to have given Kudos, to the officers and men of the Command, for all that the seizures of the illicit cargoes and drugs,stressing that it ‘’underscores the officers passion and diligence in the discharge of the core responsibility of the service at the port to enhance trade facilitation, enforcement while upholding the integrity of the entry points into the country through the Onne port axis.
The Customs Comptroller had alluded to the support and collaboration of all the other security agencies personnel and other stakeholders operating at the port in amplifying their efforts ‘’to combat smuggling in its areas of Jurisdiction, insisting that with such support, ‘’We can build a safer and healthier nation’’.
W Also, with the support of the Customs helmsman and his Management team, an appreciative Compt. Babandede, who had set a good track record at Onne port in anti-smuggling activities, was said to have assured that he officers and men of ‘’the Command will not relent in performing their duties to protect the lives and well-being of Nigerians’’.
The impressive performance of the Command in containing the activities of smugglers at the port was said to have equally been extended in the area of revenue generation. The Command which was said to have been given a revenue target of N618 billion, by the Customs Headquarters in 2024, from its total revenue target of N5.1 trillion, was said to have generated and paid into the Federation account the sum of N634 billion or 103%, higher than the 2023, collection of N321 billion, which was said to have represented 98% increase over the 2023, revenue generated and paid into the Federal account .
Suffice to say that in the area of export, the major Commodities that was said to have been exported through the port during the period comprises of Agricultural and other mineral resources like Sesame seed, aluminium ingot, granula urea in bulk, wheat bran, orange peel, among others, totaling 2, 707,339.22 Metric Tonnes of goods with Free on board, FOB, value of the North American country of the United States, US, $952,986,490.99, equivalent of N1,261,039,933,168.99.
The PortHarcourt II, Command, Customs boss, is optimistic that with the tight security that had been mounted at the port, in the recent time coupled with the state of emergency that is still in force, the Command will do much better in its and anti-smuggling operations and revenue drive in 2025. He was emphatic that the 2025, Fiscal year, will be’’ more result -oriented’’.
The Customs Comptroller had said that the officers and men of the Command, have not only shown that that they know much about the operation aspect of the Customs job but also have a good knowledge of it.
This is evident going by their performance at the C last promotion examination for both the junior and senior officers’ levels.
Take for instance of the 80 Deputy Comptrollers, that were said to have been elevated to the enviable rank of Comptroller, the Command was said to produced 14, of the new Comptrollers while 16 Assistant Comptrollers from the Command who were said to have sat for the promotion examination had scaled the hurdle to be promoted to Deputy Comptroller rank while 17, Chief Superintendents of Customs, CSC, officers, were promoted to the next rank of Assistant Comptroller. Vintage Onne port.