By Stephen Ubanna
Given the high level of smuggling across the nation’s land border areas with the neighbouring West African countries of Republic of Benin, and the Bandits affected Alliance States of Niger, Mali and Boko Haram based country of Tchad, Bashir Adeniyi, Comptroller General of Customs, CGC, appears to have taken another bold initiative to strengthen the Service operations.
The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Comptroller General, who incidentally is the Chairman of the World Customs Organisation, WCO, with Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, who is determined to reposition the Service for greater challenges ahead has launched a new digital Verification Platform that could facilitate the clearing of vehicles at the nation’s seaports just as the B’Odogwu, an indigenous technology facilitates the clearing of Containerized cargoes at the nation’s seaports.
Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada, an Assistant Comptroller and the Customs spokesperson had said that the digital Vehicle Verification Technology, is designed ‘’to curb vehicle across the nation’s borders, seaports, enhance transparency and strengthen accountability in the country’s automobile transportation process.
Many believes that the new technology would stop the stealing of Vehicles in Port Multi-services Terminal, PTML, Vehicle Terminal at Mile II, and even the stealing of parts in imported vehicles in Five Star terminal, Tin-can Island port, all based in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre. This is why Nigerians, should be very appreciative of the good efforts of the Customs Comptroller General to stabilize the nation’s seaports and land border routes, that vehicle smugglers and thieve would no longer find it business as usual.
The CGC, digital Vehicle Verification Platform, also known as Customs Verification Management System, CVMS, was said to have been officially Launched on Monday, October 20, 2025, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, amidst cheers by officers.
An elated CGC Adeniyi, had described the initiative as ‘’a milestone in the Service ongoing modernization agenda’’ supervised by The Trade Modernisation Project, TMP, team, stressing that it would go a long way to close all the long-standing loopholes in vehicle clearing process. He may have alluded to the vehicle clearing process at PTML and the Lagos ports of Tin-can Island, Five Star, Terminal.
CGC. Adeniyi had remarked that ‘’For years, verification of imported vehicles had relied on fragmented and outdated methods which was said to have left room for misinformation, fraud and revenue Leakages’’
Note that the digital vehicle Verification platform or CVMS, was developed by officers, with Computer technology background in collaboration with TMP personnel and other local technical experts, expected to provide a secure and transparent verification process accessible all Nigerians.
Maritime experts, who had commended the CGC, initiative, were said to have seen it as ‘’another score on the board of the Customs Chief, ‘’bold transformation agenda’’. They were said to have corroborated the CGC’s views that the new digital platform will significantly reduce to the barest minimum the circulation of smuggled and improperly cleared vehicles at PTML and Tin-can Island port Five Star terminal while boosting the Federal Government maritime revenue.
The Customs boss, whose B’Odogwu, platform, is already boosting government at the nation’s ports of Apapa, Tin-can Iland, PTML, and Onne Port, may have gladdened the heart of Nigerians, when he disclosed that ‘’the new solution which empowers the public, would strengthen the integrity of the Service by promoting transparency, accountability and trysts’’.
The CGC, may have justified people’s fear that the digital Vehicle Verification Platform is a money spinner for the Service when he stated that ‘’anyone who invests millions of naira in a vehicle to bring it into the country through PTML or Tin-can Island port would be made’’ to pay N15,000.00 to verify its authenticity and ensure that their investment is protected’’.
He had said that the payments can be made using any valid card to be issued by any of the nation’s or Foreign financial institutions, with verification results generated instantly. This is a big blow to the syndicate at PTML, particular, which specialize in improperly clearing imported vehicles that does not belong to them, with their insider collaborators as the Platform, which had created a centralized database through which vehicle details can be traced, verified and confirmed within minutes had been put in place. To improve the Customs Formations operational efficiency and further enhancing inter-agency Coordination.
The CGC, who could not hide his feelings was said to have told importers with their agents and other industry stakeholders that the CVMS, is part of ‘’the Service’s broader digital reform strategy’’ aimed at simplifying clearance procedures, promoting data-driven operations, and increasing transparency in the Service revenue collection.
According to Adeniyi, the Customs helmsman, the new system of clearing vehicles at the nation’s seaports ‘’brings openness to an area that was previously shrouded in uncertainty and manipulation’’.
He had said that the Service deploying the new innovative and technology-driven solutions to all Customs Formations across the country to simplify processes and boost transparency. At present there are over 40 Customs, spread across the six-geopolitical zones of the country, with much of the Commands in the South western geopolitical region.
The Launching of the Vehicle digital Platform, in Abuja, may have provided ample opportunity for Jummai Umar- Ajijola, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of TMJ, to speak out, on behalf of the Chairman, had commended the CGC for his ‘’steadfast commitment to actualizing the CVMS initiative’’. She was said to have praised the leadership of CGC Adeniyi, for championing reforms that had repositioned the NCS, as a forward-thinking institution, stating that ‘’The TMP will continue to support the Service in achieving its vision for modernization and Information, Communication and Technology, ICT, driven advancement’’.
Umar-Ajijola, the TMJ, boss, may have spoken the mind-set of the Chairman, when she reaffirmed ‘’the Projects partnership’’ with Adeniyi’s led Customs, noting that the CVMS, represents a bold step in leveraging technology ‘’ to improve revenue generation, efficiency and stakeholder confidence’’.
AJibola Adedoyin, President, Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria, AMDON, on his own part, had commended the CGC initiative and assured that members would key into the system after conducting independent assessment.’’ Can assure you that once the benefits are clear, the first set of people that would adopt this initiative, 90% of them will be the AMDON, members, spread across the country, he had remarked.
The AMDON, President, and members may have looked forward to the launching of CVMS, as he had repeatedly said while delivering his speech that that the launch of the ne Platform ‘’marks another significant in the Customs transformation drive, reinforcing its commitment to accountability, innovation, and public thrust in Nigeria’s trade and transport ecosystem’’.
AC. Maiwada, the Customs spokesperson, had confirmed that ‘’the new system introduces a Vehicle Identification Number, VIN’’- based verification process, that would enable individuals, importers and car dealers ‘’ to confirm the authenticity, origin and duty payment status of vehicles in real-time’’. Vintage Adeniyi.
In spite of the fact, that the Customs Authorities has not deployed Vehicles digital Verification Platform into ports operations, Tin-can Island Command, TCIP, in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve Centre under the close watch of Compt. Onyeka, could beat his chest that in two major operations in the Command between October 24 and September 4, 2025, the Command ha d made a seizure of N5.3 billion of illicit drugs meaning that for the remaining months of 2025, going by the Management resolve to ensuring compliance to the Federal Government Fiscal policy and international trade regulations, it will make more shocking illicit drug seizures.
The Leadership of TICP, according to informed sources is optimistic with the improved collaboration in combating drug trafficking and other transnational crimes and the support of the CGC, who is using his international connections for the anti-smuggling operations, it would make more illicit drug seizures.
Given insider information of the TCIP, illicit drug seizures, the Workaholic Compt.Onyeka had said that that the first seized 1X40ft, Container with registration number, HLXU8500072 and Bill of Lading Number HILCUTOR2506000834 which was said to have originated from Montreal, Capital of the North American country of Canada was intercepted on September 4, 2025.
TCIP, Area Controller had said that the terminal officers ‘’acting on intelligence and Coordinated Enforcement efforts with other security agencies at the port’’, had made the illicit drug seizures. He had alluded to the collaboration with the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Department of State Service, DSS, Nigerian Navy and the Force operatives at the port to facilitate the seizure of the concealed drugs.
He noted that upon 100% physical examination that was conducted on the intercepted Container, it was found to contain four vehicles with concealed 156 packets of Colorado Indica, a strain of cannabis sativa, weighing 78 Kg and 1.2Kg of Hashish Oil.
The Customs Comptroller had confirmed said that the second 40 ft Container seized ‘’40ft’’ Container intercepted following intelligence gathering from the office of the Area Controller on October 24, 2025, was found to conceal 2,081, packages of Crystal Methamphetamine, Meth, drugs, weighing eight kilograms.
In the spirit of inter-agency collaboration, the impounded dangerous narcotic drugs were said to have been handed over to the NDLEA, officials, at the port, for further investigation and prosecution of the guilty vehicle dealers or traders.
Maritime analysts fear that with the launching and planned deployment of CVMS, to facilitate the release of vehicles including Containers, carrying vehicles from the nation’s seaports, fraudulent importers with their agents are in for greater trouble ahead.
This may have informed why the TCIP Area Controller, who may have spoken the mind of other Customs Formations Area Controllers operating from the country’s seaports, had warned ‘’individuals and the syndicate involved in illicit drug smuggling to embrace genuine trade’’ and avoid drug importations which undermines the country’s economy and endangers the health of the young generation as well as serving a major risks to national security when it falls into the waiting hands of the Bandits operating in the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina and the killer gang terrorists operating in the north eastern states of Borno , Yobe and other criminal elements across the country including Kidnappers.
