By Stephen Ubanna
Barely four months that Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, embarked on the working visit to Illela, a border Community between Nigeria and Republic of Niger and its environs, accompanied by some members of the Management Team , including Comptroller Musa Omale , Area Controller , Sokoto/ Zamfara and other senior officers of the Command to ensure Compliance to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive on the border closure on July 30th, 2023, the Sokoto/ Zamfara Customs Comptroller may have taken the bold initiative to do a follow up visit to the Illela Border. , The border closure with Benin Republic was said to have been aimed at the restoration of democracy and Constitution al order in the neighbouring West African country.
Compt. Omale statement that the unscheduled tour of the Land border areas in the state ‘’is a follow up to the Customs Comptroller General visit to the Illela border Community to ensure full scale compliance to the Presidential directive to the border closure with the West African country of Republic of Niger speaks volume. The Customs Comptroller, who has refused to be intimated by the activities of the trigger hungry members of the Bandits Group in the two north western states may have embarked on the tour the Illela border Community and its environs to give a morale booster to the enforcement officers stationed at strategic locations at the border area to sustain the tempo of their operations.
An elated Comptroller Musa, had said that ‘’since the closure of the Illela and its environs Land border area, the Command had leveraged on intelligence gathering and the residents support to record numbers of spectacular Contraband seizures including the .
The Customs Compt. Who could not hide his feelings had said the impressive Contraband that had been made by the Command between July 30th, 202 and now became more pronounced with the introduction of ‘’the additional layer of enforcement that had been put in put place in Sokoto and Zamfara states’’, meaning that if the smugglers could beat one Customs patrol Team on the road, they not be lucky to do so with another unknown Team stationed along the border routes in the two states under its control.
. He may have taken advantage of the working tour to the Illa outstation and other border Communities within the Command Jurisdiction to express his appreciation to other security agencies personnel in the state , including the Force personnel in Sokoto and Zamfara states for their support to ensure that foreign par boiled rice and other Contraband prohibited in the country’s policy did not enter into the country from the neighbouring Niger or Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popular , smuggled into the neighbouring Niger from Nigeria.
Compt. Musa was said to have also extended his appreciation to the importers with their clearing agents at the Illela border area and other stakeholders in Sokoto /Zmfara states for their patience in taking delivery of their cargoes or continuing with their Legitimate border trade due to the border closure. Appealing to the stakeholders and the residents of the Illela border Community and its environs who appear to be losing the patience on a daily basis to still exercise more patience, he noted that that the Authorities are doing every to find amicable solution to the crisis to retore normalcy at the Land border areas in the state. This may have gladdened the heart of the residents of the Illela border Community, particular, who would want the security agencies personnel in the state to further tighten up security in the border Community to ward off the Criminal elements to enhance trade facilitation which is one of the core responsibilities of the Service, besides collection of revenue from dutiable goods and anti-smuggling operations.
In a related development, Francis Ade Fadahunsi, a retired Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, regarded in Custant Comptroller,ACG, of Customs and Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairmam Senate Committee and other security agencies on Customs had recently accused the Customs personnel at the nation’s Land border areas, particular, Idiroko axis in Ogun, home state of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Katsina, home state of the immediate past Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari of misusing firearms.
Snator Fadahunsi led Customs Committee on Customs were said to have asked the Customs Authorities and heads of other security agencies to reduce the multiple checkpoints in the Buhari’s home state to enable free flow of goods and services in and out of the border Communities in the state. The Ogun I, Command may have tackled the issue of multiple checkpoints at the Idiroko axis, as it has been reduced from 32 to five as a way to enhance trade facilitation.
The Senate Committee on Customs members were said to have also taking a cursory look on the alleged issuance of ‘’unofficial receipt, at the Katsina Command under the close watch of Compt. Mohammed Umar Abubakar, on imports and exports urging Adeniyi, the Customs Comptroller General ‘’to investigate and review the activities of the traders and non- traders at the Jibia and Mai’adua border Areas in the state.
Recall that when the allegations of misuse of firearms against Customs personnel at the nation’s land border areas filtered into the ears of the Customs helms last September, could not take it. The Customs Comptroller General had told those that cares to listen that ‘’If Customs anti-smuggling have killed innocent persons through ‘’unprofessional handling of firearms in the past’’, it will no longer be the case under his Leadership.
The Custom boss may have gladdened the heart of the residents of the border Communities with the neighbouring Benin Republic, Niger and the Central African country of Cameroun when he declared at the passing -out parade of the 2023, junior officers recruit course held at Customs Training School, Gorn-Dutse, Kano state last August, that’’ shooting of innocent Nigerians due to lack of sound training is over and has gone forever and will not be repeated under his Leadership’’.
According to him, Customs recruits, who mostly handle weapons during operations at the various interventionist units across the country have been properly trained in weapons handling., and charged to obey the rule of engagement and protect the lives of Nigerians rather than kill any person in the discharge of their duties.
Rasheed Adahunse, who was said to have been involved in training the new recruits into the service had said that ‘’the training of the recruits covered enforcement, revenue, valuation, export and import procedures among others’’.
Many had expected the Senate Committee on Customs to address he continuous killing of Customs personnel around the border area across the country by the economic saboteurs instead of accusing Customs personnel of misusing firearms or the Customs Authorities on the Area Controller to remove. This year alone, Federal Operations Unit, under the close watch of DC. Hussain Kehinde Ejibuno had lost one or two officers on anti-smuggling operation to the trigger-hungry smugglers who are being aided by the youths of the border Communities for their own pecuniary gains.. The killing of Customs personnel by alleged smugglers became more pronounced became pronounced became 2010 and much of 2023, that Hameed Ali, a retired army and erstwhile Comptroller General of the NCS, could not longer as he was said to have advised the service enforcement officers on operation to defend themselves whenever their lives are in danger.
