By Stephen Ubanna
Just as the trio of Compt. Bello Ahmadu Shuaibu, Ben Nkem Oramalugo and Hussain Eyinde Ejibunu, a former Area Controller, Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos and now and now an Assistant Comptroller General, ACG, , have made an appreciable mark in the service anti-smuggling operations, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, appears to have discovered another set of aggressive anti-smuggling interventionist area Controllers.
At present Comptrollers. Shuaibu, is the Area Controller, FOU, Zone B, Kaduna, north west Nigeria, Counterpart, while,Oramalugo, oversees Seme Command, south west Nigeria . ACG. Ejibunu, who has the Customs Comptroller General’s mandate to oversee the Operation Whirlwind, ‘’to combat smuggling of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popular, petrol and other petroleum products, has the entire country to cover to checkmate the activities of the petrol smugglers.
Nigeria shares internation borders with the neighbouring countries of Republic Benin, Niger, Chad, Mali and the Central African country of Cameroun.The most populous country in the African Continent, which is in the midst of the countries in the West and Central African sub-regions, sells petrol at relatively the cheapest price, which was said to have created a lucrative market for smugglers.
The price disparity of a litre of petrol in a Nigeria filling state and that of a filling station in these neighbouring countries was said to have created black market for smugglers , who have become increasingly sophisticated in the illegal business.
Given that the petrol smugglers have developed hidden compartments in vehicles, attempting to bribe border Customs officials and utilizing unapproved routes to carry out their nefarious activities, may have encouraged all Interventionists Area Controllers including Comptrollers Shuaibu, Oramalugo, and Mohammed Salisu Shuaibu, of Ogun I, Command , Idiroko, home state of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to have given the petrol and other Contraband and fairly used vehicles smugglers a cause to worry.
ACG. Ejibunu, whose mandate is to effectively checkmate the activities of the petrol smugglers in the 36 states of the Federation and FCT, according to a senior Customs officer, who spoke to The Value News on condition of anonymity may have made news in Ogun, Admawa and Taraba states in making petrol seizures in the past but the situation appears to have changed.
Given the porous nature of the nation’s border routes with the neighbouring routes may have informed why the various Interventionist Units Area Controllers are alive to their duties to effectively police their various area of jurisdictions to ensure that no Contraband item, Canabis Sativa, popular, Indian Hemp, Tramadol or other dangerous drug do not enter into the country from these vassal states or Jerry cans, 25 litres each loaded with petrol being smuggled from Nigeria into these neighbouring countries through the unapproved routes.
The deployment of Comptrollers Kamal Mohammed, to Sokoto/Zamfara Command, Compt. Nwaokorie, Kebbi Command, Garba Bashir, Adamawa/Taraba, Idris Abba-Aji, Katsina, and Joseph Adelaja, to Oyo/Osun, Comand, may have exposed the skills of the new Area Controllers in anti-smuggling operations.
This may have informed why maritime analysts had described the Interventionist Units, new Area Controllers, as Comptrollers watch because of their intensified anti-smuggling drive which had sent a message to the smugglers that ‘’it is no longer business as usual’’.
Take for instance,Compt. Bashir, the Area Controller of the Adamawa /Taraba, Command, had intercepted and seized 13,890 litres of petrol , loaded in 554 Jerry cans, 25 litres each, along with two Toyota Hiace Buses used for the smuggling operation, within two weeks of being in office.
If the quantities of Petrol intercepted and seized by the Adamawa/Taraba Command was not voluminous enough to deserve accolade for a job well-done compared to seizures that had been made by operation whirlwind officers in one operation, then Compt. Joseph Adelaja, Area Controller of the Oyo/Osun, whose name does not ring bells in Customs circles as an anti-smuggling guru, deserves commendations.
The Customs Comptroller has demonstrated that he knows his onions, going by the quantities of Contraband seizures and Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popular, Petrol, intercepted and seized by the Command under his Leadership within two weeks in office.
Described as a Customs Comptroller, who is wearing a big shoe left behind by an established anti-smuggling czar, who had made an appreciable mark in Kebbi Command, overseeing the north western Kebbi state, which shares boundary with Niger Republic, home of and Bandits and Lakurama Groups, which had been troubling the state over the years, Compt. Adelaja, has proved that he can deliver on the Comptroller General’s mandate on anti-smuggling operations.
The Customs Comptroller, who has proved bookmakers wrong, could beat his chest that he has all that it, takes to deliver on his mandate. He had confirmed that the Command under his Leadership in two weeks had made spectacular seizures which included the hundreds of bags of 50 Kg each of the Asian countries of Thailand par boiled rice and the Indian agricultural par boiled rice, second hand clothing, gallons of Jerry cans of petrol, 25 litres each, and pneumatic tyres, which Valuation experts had put at about N 165.4 million.
Given an insider information, the Customs Comptroller who had sustained the tempo of anti-smuggling operations structure inherited from his predecessor, Compt. Oralalugo, had said that ‘’the interception and seizure of the Contraband goods had prevented the illegal inflow of such products that could have undermined the local industries production level and patronage by traders into the country.
He had said that ‘’the remarkable achievements that had been made by the Command was made possible through ‘’unwavering dedication, professionalism and Cooperation of the Patrol Team officers’’ in their various area of Jurisdictions in the two south west states of Oyo and Osun.
He was said to have also alluded to the collaboration with the other security agencies personnel, particular, the military, the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, Department of State Services, DSS, and Directorate of Military Intelligence, DMI, which was said ‘’to have strengthened the Command’s anti-smuggling operations’’.
According to him, ‘’ the partnerships with these other security agencies, had facilitated the exchange of information, intelligence gathering and encouraged joint operations to combat smuggling activities in their area of Jurisdictions.
Determined to sustain the records which he had set in two weeks, the Customs Comptroller was said to have promised ‘’to prioritize the sensitization of residents of the border Communities and its environs to raise their awareness about the negative impact of smuggling on the economy and the well-being of the nation and the need to join the service in stopping the rot.
Taking the issue of sensitization of the of the public on the dangers of smuggling Contraband items and agricultural products like foreign par boiled into the Nigerian market, the Oyo/Osun Command, Area Controller, was said to have promised ‘’to embark on media engagements and outreach programs to further empower the Local Communities with the basic knowledge and tools required to report smuggling activities to the Command in a closely guided secret that will not expose the identity of the informant.
Lamenting the low level of importation, into the country in the recent time, which many had said was not unexpected in the first quarter of the year, as importers had adopted a wait and see attitude to the implementation of the 2025, Fiscal policy measure before placing orders for cargo imports from the Asian countries of China and India, particular, as well as the fluctuating exchange rate.
Notwithstanding the drop in the volume of cargo imports in the month of February, 2025, into the country, the Command, was said to have collected and paid into the Federation Account, the sum of NN2,048,487,960.00, with much of the revenue collected from the excise factories, superintended by the Command.
He had said that ‘’the revenue that was collected by the Command between February 1, 2025 and February 27, 2025, reflects ‘’the intelligence and efficiency of the officers and men of the Command in ensuring ‘’Compliance with extant Customs Law and policies’’.
He may have gladdened the heart of Department of Revenue officials when he disclosed that the Command has significantly ‘’reduced tax evasion through the adoption of advance technology’’ , such as the deployment of improved data analytics , which was said to have enabled the Command ‘’to effectively monitor trade flows and identify discrepancies’’.
