By Stephen Ubnna
Smugglers operating between Nigeria,Republic of Benin and Niger who had heaved a sigh of relief that the redeployment of Compt. Dalh Cheldi Wada, who had given them tough times over the last 10 months to the Customs Headquarters will give them room to continue carrying out their nefarious activities of smuggling Contraband into the country unchecked may have to do a think.
This is because the trouble is far from being over for them as Compt. Shuaibu Ahmadu Bello may be their nemesis this time around. Informed sources told The Value News that it will very difficult for the high profile smugglers who have the resources to penetrate the ranks of the anti-smuggling and Patrol Team officers because of Compt. Shuaibu’s unique anti-smuggling strategies which had been difficult to beat, at Ogun I, idiroko, Commandand which will still be introduced in the FOU, Zone B, anti-smuggling operations,meaning that the era of compromise is over.
Given the new FOU, Zone B, Kaduana, Area Controller’s antecedents in Ogunn I, Command, where he was said to have made the desperate smugglers operating between Yelwa north, Ipoki and Imeko/Afon Local Government Areas of Ogun, former President Obasanjo home state and Benin Republic, which going by Nigerian Immigrton Service, NIS, have over 90 Border routes should give the north western and north central based smugglers a cause to worry.
The Customs Comptroller who was said to have driven out most of the Ogun state smugglers out of business and forced some others to relocate to Oyo/Osun, Kwara and Niger, home state of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, rtd, a former Nigerian Military President in, particular, to carry out their nefarious activities, is set to repeat same in again in FOU, Zone B, which have 13states: Kwara, Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, andNasaawa under its jurisdiction in its anti-smuggling operations.The other states are Kaduna, Katsina, home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kbbi, Jigawa and Kano under its control.
A close source told The online Magazine that ever since the mantle of Leadership of FOU, Zone B, fell on Compt. Shuaibu, on Wednesday, April,17, 2024, there have been restiveness in the camp of the smugglers in the Border Communities in Baruten Area of Kwara state, and other Border Communities in Niger, Katsina , Sokoto , Zamfara, Kebbi and Jigawa states.
Many of the smugglers are said to have gone back to the drawing the board to restrategize on how to give the new FOU, Zone B, Area Controller, the baptism of fire to welcome him to the region described as home of smugglers in the north. Take for instance the Illela Border Community in Sokoto state where Vice President Kashim Shettima, a-one time governor of Borno state, had said has over 32 illegal routes used by the smugglers to perpetuate their fraudulent activities are believed to be testing the waters to get the response of the Compt. Shuaibu’s men .
Until Compt. Wada left the the exalted office of Area Controller of FOU, Zone B, he has a message to his successor that much work still needed to be done to put the smugglers where they belong.One of such problems that Compt. Wada, was said to have pursued headlong as a former Area Controller of FOU, Zone B, Kaduna was to curtail the altering of ‘’vehicles’ chassis numbers which had been used over the years by the smugglers over the years by the vehicle dealers to defraud the government of the much needed revenue to provide basic infrastructural facilities for the people.
He may have told the celebrating smugglers that their troubles have just started as Shuaibu, his successor, who is an ”experienced enforcement expert will deal decisively with them’’.
A no- nonsence Compt. Wada, who was said to have had a running battle with the smugglers for the over 10 months he had administered the FOU, Zone B, Kaduna, had made it to those that cares to listen that he has ‘’ absolute confidence in Compt. Suaibu’s abilities to build upon the foundation that had been laid by his Administration, confirming what Compt. Folorunsho , the new Area Controller , Ogun I, iDiroko Command had said, that the former. Ogun i, Area Controller is” a performer”.
He was emphatic that what the former Ogun I, Idiroko Command, had done in in seven months will be a child’s play compared to what he will do in the Areas under his Jurisdictions in the north western and north central states , including the FCT, ‘’signaling tougher times ahead for the economic saboteurs’’.
The former Ogun I, Idiroko, Command, Area Controller who was siad to have made the diehard smugglers ‘’to cry out for help’’ appears to have read the riot act to the smugglers and their accomplice, in the two northern regions under the FOU, Zone B, Command Jurisdictions that their nefarious activities will not be condoned and that ‘’’anyone caught in the act, shall be brought to book’’.
The message to the smugglers was very clear that he and his team are fully prepared to make mockery of their strategies of using armed Bandits to subvert government’s Fiscal and monetary policies to perpetuate fraudulent activities.
Given the volatile nature of the north western and north eastern regions , which are within the Jurisdictions of the FOU, Zone B, which had been described bysecurity experts as the heart of Customs anti-smuggling operations across the country may have informed why the Niger state born Customs Area Controller had solicited for the support and Cooperation of other security and Intelligence agencies like the military, particular, he Army, under the cloe watch of Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Nigerian Police Force, NPF, which has Kayode Olatokun, as the Inspector General o , IG, and the Department of State Service , DSS, which has Yusuf Magaji Birchi, as the helmsman including other stakeholders be able to deliver on the core mandate of the service which involves collection of revenue for the government, suppression of smuggling and trade facilitation’’.
The large turnout of security Operatives and top government functionaries including the Chief of Staff to Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna state, Commandant of Police College, Kaduna, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and the state Coordinator, Federal Youth Service Corps, NYSC, during the glamorous handover ceremony was a clear indication that the sister security agencies are ready to work with the new FOU, Zone B, Kaduna, Customs boss and his Management team, to achieve results.
Appealing to the officers ”to be disciplined and example, remain focused as ‘’Professionals in the discharge of their duties and live by example, he noted that it is the only way the borders with neighbouring Benin Republic and Niger which are under its Jurisdictions would be completely secured’’. Already, Officers and Men of the Command have pledged their loyalty and full prepared ready to work with the new FOU, Zone Area Controller to succeed in delivering on his mandate.
As an enforcement officer who believes in ‘’teamwork’’, he was said to have also urged the FOU, Zone B, anti-smuggling and Patrol team officers on the road ‘’to work as a team, adhere strictly to the rules of engagement and discharge their duties in conformity with the NCS, act 2023, which was passed by the 9th National Assembly and signed into Law on April 20, 2023, by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
