Acting Controller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has called on the personnel of the Ogun Area 1 and 2 Command to maintain an exceptional level of alertness.
He stressed the importance of preventing cross-border criminals from exploiting their positions to smuggle goods into the Republic of Niger. Adeniyi made these remarks during his inaugural visit to the Idiroko Border as part of his comprehensive tour of NCS units across the nation.
Adeniyi also assured that the NCS would advocate for a reevaluation of the restrictions on supplying petroleum products to fuel stations located near the Idiroko border. He highlighted that this move aligns with the NCS’s dual mandate of upholding both national and regional security. He further underlined the necessity for heightened vigilance due to the closure of Nigerian borders with the Republic of Niger, as directed by the collective consensus of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Emphasizing the critical nature of this vigilance, Adeniyi noted that the NCS, under his leadership, has adopted strategic measures. These measures, when put into action, are expected to prompt cross-border criminals to seek out vulnerabilities in less closely monitored areas for the purpose of smuggling commodities into the Republic of Niger.
He said, “Idiroko Border is a very strategic Gateway into Nigeria, Republic of Benin and by extension, the sub region. So, we cannot afford to allow criminals, who perpetrate crimes across our borders to do things that are inimical to our national securities.
“I am here this morning to remind ourselves of our collective mandate to keep away criminals operating around our borders. Whether they come in the forms of smuggling, human or drug trafficking, or things that will affect our public health, we have a collective responsibilities to confront them and beat them to their games”.
“We are all aware of the situation with our neighbouring Republic not Niger. Response to the presidential directives by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the Nigeria President and chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), we are closely monitoring the situation in Niger”.
“Anywhere we have borders that could be compromised and there could be attempts to use routes that are not necessarily normal for them to cross things into Niger. All transit goods into Niger must be stopped. Anywhere you see goods transiting Nigeria to Niger Republic through the Customs’ territory should be stopped.
“This is also a time for us to remain very vigilant because enemies of the state are still at work. Those who are bent at destabilizing the country are at work. This is therefore, a reminder that you cannot afford to relax. At any point in time, your level of vigilance and alertness must be 100 percent”.
“You must be ready at all the time; you must cultivate very credible and reliable intelligence from amongst the community that you live and you must learn to cooperate and synergies with other agencies to enhance national security”.
Addressing the issue of the 20-kilometer constraints on the distribution of petroleum products to fuel stations, Adeniyi elaborated that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is planning to formally request a reconsideration of the policy. This is particularly noteworthy considering the removal of fuel subsidies.
“I can assure you that we are working with the appropriate authorities of government. We will be requesting a review of those policies if we see situations that warrant a review of such policies exists in your operations at the borders.
“Example: compliance with the extant laws on import and exports; if we see the supports of the communities cooperating with government agencies to enforce those laws. Of course, we will make appropriate recommendations for a review of issues like the border closures; importations of the second hand vehicles through the land borders and most importantly, because of the removal of the fuel subsidies, we will also make recommendation for a review of petroleum products supplies to fueling stations in and around the borders.”
