By Stephen Ubanna
For years, officers and men of the Nigerian Customs service, NCS, who had been promoted and decorated with their new ranks appears to have seen it as an opportunity to become tingods at the seaports, airports and the country’s Land border stations They were said to have used their strategic positions occupied at the various Commands for their own pecuniary gains.
But for officers and Men of the service attached to the Oyo/Osun Command working under Compt. Ben Nkem Oramalugo, they have to watch it to avoid playing into the hands of the Customs Comptroller who many believe is working according to the mandate given to him by Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the Customs Comptroller General, CGC: Operation no compromise.
Addressing the over 90 officers of the Command at the Ibadan, premises in Oyo state including Supt. Kayode Wey, the Command, spokesperson, who had scaled the hurdle of the 2024, competitive promotion examination to be elevated to their new ranks, the Oyo/Osun, Command Area Controller, was said to have enjoined the newly promoted officers ‘’to uphold the Customs integrity and professionalism’’.

Compt. Oramalugo, May have taken advantage of the World Customs Organization WCO, which has Ian Saunders, as the Secretary General, 2025, World Customs Day, to speak out. The WCO, Secretary General who had laid the foundation for the Leadership of the Customs Administration across the world to talk sense into the head of the their staffs was said to have told member countries that the celebration of the World Customs Day, is a chance ‘’to honour the dedication of their respective Customs Operatives, educate the public on their mission and role, mobilize decision makers who help to ensure that they have the resources required to address its challenges effectively and efficiently ‘’.
Throwing more light on the World Customs Day Celebration, the Secretary General was said to have highlighted specific areas in which its member countries are invited’’ to act’’, described as the key to advancing Customs mission: to promote standards and guidelines created by the Organization along with the aspirations voiced by members and ensure that these standards and guidelines are translated into real-world practices’’.
It was not surprising why he had advised member countries to focus on the need ‘’to turn commitments into tangible actions that will advance trade facilitation, ensure security and foster sustainable economic development, security and prosperity’’.

In his 2025, World Customs Day speech tagged, ‘’Customs : Delivering on Commitment to Efficiency, Security and Prosperity, that was aid to have distributed to member countries, the WCO, Secretary General, had reminded members of the direction that had been set at the WCO, Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and the need to showcase the actions each member has taken to build momentum as well as to share any measurable progress.
The WCO Chief, was emphatic that’’ the efficiency, security, and prosperity of a nation are the permanent aims that could only be achieved through steadfast efforts to improve anything Customs does’’.
According to him, ‘’ efficiency is powered by modernization of Customs procedures and development of digital services, promotion of data -driven operations and analytical tools, including the use of inspection and monitoring devices and cooperation and engagement with public and private entities’’.
He may have alluded to the fact that in the security realm, Customs activities, ranges from ‘’bolstering supply chain security to preventing the movement of illicit goods, combating money laundering and enhancing crisis preparedness’.
The WCO helmsman, who could not hide his feelings had said that while Customs personnel works on a daily basis including weeks, ‘’to further efficiency, improve security, support prosperity’’, member countries, need’’ to demonstrate more visibly to their respective countries’ government and society at large how the Customs are’’ taking action and delivering results’’.
This may have informed why he had repeatedly said that ‘’the ultimate goal of the Customs which is prosperity, depends on the members ability ‘’to ensure fair revenue collection, foster innovation, and entrepreneurship, support sustainable economic development and create inclusive policies, procedures and environments that take into account the diverse needs of the people’’.
Saunder, the WCO, Secretary General, had confirmed that’ ’reporting and accountability’’ have already been put in place some member countries, which made the Customs job less cumbersome.
Adeniyi, the CGC, who had taken the message of the WCO, Secretary General, to officers and Men at the Customs Headquarters, Zonal offices, through the National Coordinators and the Commands, through their Area Controllers, was said to have asked them to read in between the lines the WCO, Secretary General, 2025, World Customs Day speech to the get the necessary facts and use it for the good of the service. Note that the World Customs, Day, ought to have been celebrated on January 26, 2025, but was shifted to Monday, January 27, 2025, because the D-Day had fallen on a weekend.
CSC. Wey, the Oyo/ Osun Command, spokesperson, had said that Compt. Oramalugo, had painted the Command premises red at Ibadan, Capital of Oyo state, as the WCO, Day celebration was marked by a series of presentations from an officer who was said to have served as resource person and an interactive session on how the service can further enhance on its role in supporting the Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN, economic agenda.
The WCO, Secretary General, who was said to have also highlighted ‘’the role of the NCS, in combating smuggling activities and enhancing revenue generation through transparent and efficient processes, had described it as very instructive.
Given the Knowledge that may have been gained by the officers and men of the Command during the interactive sessions, may have encouraged officers to give their words to the Area Controller ‘’to remain committed to advancing the mission of the service and contributing to the country’s economic stability and a secured environment for all stakeholders involved in genuine trade.
Compt. Oramalugo, who was said to have taken advantage of the decoration of the newly promoted senior and junior officers in the Command, to celebrate the World Customs Day, was said to have told the officers that their’’dedication and consistent performance in their various capacities had significantly contributed to the Command Operational success’’.
Describing it as a proud moment for the Command, as’’ it celebrates the hard work, resilience, and excellence’’ that was said to have brought each promoted officer to the milestone’’, he noted that ‘’the promotion is a testament to the officers to the Customs continued dedication to the values of the service and the collective mission ‘’to ensure the prosperity and security of the nation’’.
He may have alluded to the threats from terrorists’ Organizations like the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram and the Islamic State of the West African Province, ISWAP, which had been terrorizing the people of the north eastern states of Borno, Yobe and activities of the Bandits and Lakurawa Groups.
These terror groups have been north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina and north central state of Niger while in the south eastern geopolitical region, the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, founded by Nnamdi Kadu, and currently, under the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Eastern Security Network, ESN, are frustrating the people of the region and their businesses.
The Anambra state born Oyo/ Osun Command, Area Controller, who never misses any opportunity to speak out, was said to have emphasized Customs commitment ‘’to improving operational efficiency, enhancing security measures and contributing to the economic prosperity of the two south western states of Oyo an Osun under its areas of jurisdictions. This may have encouraged the Customs Area Controller to urge the officers to be alive to their duties to contain the activities of the Criminal gangs.
The Oyo/Osun Command, Area Controller, who was said to have made attendees at, had said that
the decoration of the newly promoted officers and the World Customs Day Celebration that through the continuous training that had been embarked upon by Adeniyi, led Management Team, of the NCS, over the last one-year, strategic partnerships and adoption of technology,’’ the Command has successfully improved on its operations and service to the general public’’.
He had reportedly said that the 2025, World Customs Day’s celebration reflects the service contributions, not only to the prosperity of the nation but to make the country remain a key player in international trade transactions.
Guided by the Comptroller General tripod policy thrusts of Consolidation, Innovation and Collation, the Workaholic Oyo/ Osun Command Area Controller, was said to have assured the officers, and men of the Command that the Management will continue ‘’to motivate and collaborate with other sister security agencies in the two south western states covered to ensure that ‘’Customs processes for taking delivery of cargoes released are seamless, efficient and secure’’.

In a related development, Compt. Babatunde Olomu, Area Controller, Apapa, who had been silent over the Command 2025, revenue target that had been set for the Command by the Customs Headquarters fromits projected N12 trn, projected target by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Public Finance, may have used the opportunity provided by the International Customs Day Celebration to speak out. The Customs Comptroller could beat his chest that that the Command would meet and surpass its undisclosed 2025 revenue target, noting that it has done it in 2024, and would do it again. He has his reasons for believing that the Command would live up to its billing in maritime circles.
This is because of the Command’s dedication to facilitation of trade and support for Legitimate trade, streamlining the Command’s clearing process to minimize delays at the premier port to enhance its revenue collection.
A senior Customs officer who spoke to the online Magazine on condition of anonymity had corroborated what the Customs Comptroller had said over meeting and surpassing its 2025, revenue target, when he disclosed that the Command, has maintained and improved on its trade facilitation drive and implementing processes to address the Command trade issues with importers and their clearing agents and fast dispute resolutions to facilitate the clearing process.
He was said to have also given an insight to the Command’s commitment ‘’to non-intrusive inspection, just as the it has leveraged on its technology and risk management processes, data generation, collation and application for valuation and planning to enhance daily revenue collections.
Note that that in the 2024, Fiscal year, the had collected and paid into government coffers the sum of N2.357 trn, which an insider had had confirmed was N1.1trn, higher than the total revenue figure of the Command in 2023.