By Stephen Ubanna
The redeployment of Compt. Gambo Aliyu, to the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, the nation’s Commercial Centre, appears to have create vacuum in the Oyo/Osun Command.
Given the strategic importance of the Oyo/Osun Command in overseeing the activities of smugglers in Oyo and Osun, both states in the south western region, may have informed why Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, had quickly filled the vacuum that had been created in the Command with the deployment of Compt. Aliyu, to Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lago to sustain the anti-smuggling war.
, The choice of DC. Adewole to head the Oyo/Osun Command did not come to many as a surprise because of his understanding of the terrain where he was said to participated in several anti-smuggling operations as a growing officer.
Many believes that the deployment of DC. Adewole, to the Oyo/ Osun Command, with not as much inappropriate routes as that of the Ogun I, Command, Idiroko, which has over 90, inappropriate routes to cover but still difficult to do so speaks volume.
Oyo state, which is under the jurisdictions of Oyo/Osun Command, shares boundary with the neighbouring Republic of Benin, where the desperate smugglers ply their trade around the notorious Saki axis and other porous border routes in the state.
The situation is even more worrisome around the Osun axis, which shares boundary with Kwara state, which in turn shares boundaries with both Niger and Burkina, escribed as home of bandits, which gives room for criminal elements backed bandits from the two Sahelian States to smuggled Prohibited goods and fairly used vehicles into the country at will.
Past and the immediate past Area immediate past Area Controller of the Oyo/Osun Command, who had been redeployed to the FOU, Zone A, Command, Ikeja, Compt. Aliyu, but with the exceptions of the duo, ACGs, Ben Nkem Oramlugo and Kehinde Husein Ejibunu. of FOU, Zone A, who was said to have retired as the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind.
The duo, were said to have used their wealth of experience in anti-smuggling operations to deal decisively with the smuggles shuttling between Kwara, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, that specular Contraband seizures, were regularly made.
Let us hope that the combination of the efforts of the efforts of the DC. Adewole, overseeing the Oyo/Osun Command, would make difference in the anti-smuggling operations in the Oy/Osun state, which was said to have slowed down over the two years.
With the sweet words of DC. Adewole, who sees his appointment as a call ‘’to higher service’’, he was said to have pledged ‘’to uphold professionalism, integrity, discipline and teamwork in advancing the core mandate of the Service’’ which includes, revenue generation, trade facilitation and anti-smuggling operations.
The Oyo/Osun Command, acting Area Controller, who was said to commended his predecessor, now redeployed to FOU, Zone A, for his exemplary leadership and notable achievements in the area of revenue generation, trade facilitation drive, anti-smuggling operations and stakeholder engagement has given his words: to sustain the momentum.
He was said to have assured the officers and stakeholders, particular, the importers with their agents, and the excise Factory owners in the state that his administration would consolidate the gains of recorded by his predecessor and work diligently to surpass existing milestones.
Nigerians would take by his words going by the notoriety of the smugglers in the Oyo axis to see if he can effectively mobilise the officers to contain their activities as he was said to have outlined his priorities to include enhanced and transparent revenue collection, strengthened anti-smuggling operations through collaboration with other sister security agencies like the Army, Department of State Service, DSS, Army, Nigerian Police Force, NPF, National Internal Security Agency, NIA and Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS.
He may have alluded also to collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and control, NAFDAC and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, personnel, to further strengthen its anti-smuggling operations across the Command areas of operations.
Compt. Aliyu, the former Area Controller of the Oyo/Osun Command, who could play ‘’the spoiler’s role if he so decides’’ by tightening up security to ensure that nothing enters or leaves the country, has described his tenure as ‘’fulfilling and impactful , marked by strong collaboration with the governments and people of Oyo and Osun states, effective synergy with sister security agencies and sustained stakeholder engagement with traditional rulers within the Command areas of jurisdiction.
The Customs Comptroller, who could not hide his feelings was said to have used the opportunity provided by the hadover to his successor, DC. Adewole, to drum about the Command’s improved revenue performance achieved through enhanced trade compliance, structured engagement with excise factories and the deployment of the indigenous technology, Unified Customs Management System, ucms, popular, B’Odogwu, which had replaced the foreign technology, National Integrated Customs Information System, NCIS, II, for cargo clearance, during his tenure.
The former Oyo/ Osun area Controller, may have gladdened the heart of the officers and menof the Command, who, he had said contributed immensely to his success. He was said to have applauded them for their professionalism and resilience which had translated into the Command’s impressive anti-smuggling operations across Oyo and Osun states and protection of the national economy’’.
He has a word of advice for his successor to sustain the capacity- building initiatives of his administration, deepen engagement with border communities and ensure the completion of Command’s Social Responsibility project, which includes the proposed solar -powered Healthcare Centre at Iragboji, which the acting Area Controller was said to have promised to do.
While DC. Adewole, acting Area Controller Oyo /Osun Command is still battling to settle down for the real anti-smuggling job, his counterpart, DC. Olukayode Afeni, overseeing the Ogun I, Command, Idiroko, located in the home state of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, which many believe have over 90 illegal routes used by the smugglers scattered in four major local government areas in the state was said to have used his barely two weeks in office to show his skill in anti-smuggling operations.
Unlike what obtains around the illegal routes in Ipokia, Imeko Afon, Yewa north and Yewa south local government areas during Christmas period, where the smugglers see it as an opportunity to make ends meet by devising new strategies to beat the Command Patrol Team, Surveillance officers to it and outstations to it, the smugglers appear to have seen something different.
This is because of the tight security that was said to have been mounted in the four porous local government areas in the state that shares boundary with Benin Republic. The few desperate smugglers who were said to have dared the Command personnel on the road were said to have been disappointed as their goods fell into the waiting officers.
Many believes that acting Area Controller, who succeeded in sacking the smugglers from the porous border axis, that it looks as there is no Christmas aound te Ipokia, Imeko Afon, Yewa north and Yewa axis of the state as evidenced by what is happening along the once busy Sango Ota- Ata-Owode Road have been deserted by smugglers for fear of losing their goods.
Just as DC. Afeni, is making an appreciable impact in Ogun I, Command, Idiroko , areas of jurisdiction in Ogun state, the CGC, appears to have picked another DC, in the person of Abubakar Lucky Aliyu, as the new National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind started by ACG. Ejibunu, who had retired from the Service.
The Customs Deputy Comptroller, was said to have replaced ACG. IK Oladeji who had been redeployed to the Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation, E.I&I, Department to replace ACG. Shaibu, at the Customs Headquarters, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The Customs DC, appears to have proved that he is ready for the job, when he celivered a thought -provoking speech on the drivers of smuggling, banditry and terrorism in Nigeria. He was said to have identified the proliferation of illicit drugs as a major catalyst for youth involvement in criminal networks, of smuggling across the country, stressing ‘’the need for meaningful management and economic empowerment as antidotes to national security’’.
The deployment of Deputy Comptrollers Adewole and, Afeni, to strategic interventionist Commands in the south western geopolitical region and Aliyu, another DC, as the new National Coordinator of the Operation whirlwind, the Service flagship anti-smuggling Task Force, appears to have made them the new anti-smuggling Czars to watch.
