By Stephen Ubanna
Barely two months after the redeployment of Kehinde Hussain Ejibunu, a Customs Comptroller and former Area Controller, Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre, to Head the newly created adhoc team, Operation whirlwind, Mohammed Salisu Shuaibu, a deputy Comptroller overseeing the Border Drill, sector II, and his officers appear to be alive to their duties.
Until Comptroller Ejibunu relocated to his new operational office at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, the Border Drill, sector II, was a shadow of itself as FOU, Zone officers who were said to be everywhere in the land border locations the south western states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states over powered them in the anti-smuggling war in the region.
Compt. Ejibunu, had effectively used the Command officers to keep a close tab on the smugglers operating between the Benin Republic and in the six south western states making all the Contraband seizures and leaving the remnant for the Border Drill sector II, and the other Interventionists Units in the Area to intercept and seize.
Many had expected DC. Shuaibu, who was said to have been redeployed from the Apapa Command, Enforcement Unit, to Head the border Drill, sector II, to effectively compete with the FOU, Zone A, under the then Leadership of Compt.Ejibunu, because of his invaluable experience which he had acquired over the years while working as the second –in –Command to Abdullahi Kerewa, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs , now retired. Who had headed the defunct Comptroller General Task Force, whose sphere of of influence covered thewhole part of the country.
Despite the knowledge believed to have been gained from the then no nonsense anti-smuggling Czar, who was said to have been given double promotion because of his spectacular Contraband seizures, DC. SUAIBU, had remained a no match remained a no match to Comptroller Ejibunu, in prosecuting the anti-smuggling war in the south western geopolitical region. Until the Customs Comptroller was redeployed to the Operation Whirlwind by Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the Customs Comptroller General, he gave the smugglers operating between Nigeria and Benin Republic and their sponsors around the 94 Illegal border routes in Ogun state and those operating around the Saki and Iseyin axis in Oyo and Osun states a run for their money.
DC. Shuaibu, of the Operation Border Drill , sector II, may have taken the advantage of the redeployment of Compt. Ejibunu , from FOU, Zone A, , and his subsequent replacement with Compt. Kola Oladeji, described as a neophyte in Customs enforcement circles to prove that he can do the do the job.
Many believe that he had taken the last two months that Compt. Ejibunu, had relocated to Operation Whirlwind, Operational base in Abuja, to obilize his officers and restrategise on how to checkmate the unrepentat smugglers who are scattered all over the six south western states without missing their targets.
Given that Compt. Ejibunu and his team members, have made the first seizures of hundreds of jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit, popular petrol of 25 litres each, in the south west state of Ogun, home state of former President Olusegun Obasanjo , may have forced DC. Shuaibu and his officers to sit up.
This is evident going by the Contraband seizures by the Border Drill, sector II, team in the last two months, of Contraband seizures ranging from from Asian countrie of Thailand par boiled rice an India par boiled Agriculture, Foreign Frozen poultry products, West African country of Ghana grown and smuggled Cannabis Sativa, popular, India Hemp, and fairly used vehicles, which had been baneed by former President Muhammadu Buhari , from coming into he country, from January 1, 2017. This is in addition to PMS, being smuggled from Nigeria into Beninoa petroleum Products market
Given a breakdown of the seizures, an elated DC. Shuaibu , had revealed that the Border Drill sector II, operating in the south west geopolitical region had intercepted and seized in the last two onths 4,051 bags of foreign par boiled rice of 50 Kg, each, 25 cartons of foreign poultry products which had been destroyed, 912 pieces of fairly used tyres, 30 sacks of Cannabis Sativa, containing 85 blocks and 125 wraps, including 3,51 jerrycans of 25 litres each of PMS, valued at about N11.3 billion. The good news was that the Border Dril , sector II, Patrol team officers within the two months of their operation in the south western geopolitical region may have caused more pains for the smugglers as they were said to have also intercepted seven fairly used vehicles, one truck and four units of motorcycles used as means of conveyance for the intercepted and seized items.
An elated DC. Shuaibu, who could not hide his feelings had said that the Contraband seizures was as a result of the intensive operation of the adhoc patrol team officers across the border routes of the six south western states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun , Ekiti and Ondo, home state of Olu Falae, former Secretary of Government of the Federation , during former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida’s Administration.
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