Customs Partner Navy to Tackle Smuggling

The Nigeria Customs Service has moved to strengthen collaboration with the Nigerian Navy to battle smuggling activities within the country’s territorial waters.

In a statement released on Saturday via X, formerly Twitter, the NCS Comptroller-General, Bashir Adeniyi, said during a Thursday visit to the Naval Dockyard in Lagos that the Navy could maintain the agency’s fleet of vessels for border patrols.

“We don’t need to establish a vessel maintenance unit; it’s capital intensive, but we have an agency of government that has the knowledge, that has the capacity, and there’s the willingness for them to assist us,” Adeniyi stated.

“I have seen and marvelled by the capacity that exists here in the Naval Dockyard, and we believe that we could tap into that capacity and enter into some agreement with you so that you could manage the maintenance of our fleets,” he emphasised.

The Customs boss added that enhancing NCS presence in coastal areas was key to reducing smuggling, which smugglers might redirect through the waters if land borders were effectively policed.

“If we block the land borders effectively and do not maintain a very strong presence on our territorial waters, smugglers will take advantage, so we also need to fortify and enhance our presence to checkmate those who may want to try smuggling through our waters,” the CGC stated.

In response, Naval Dockyard MD, Rear Admiral Abolaji Orederu, said the shipyard was well positioned to leverage its vessel maintenance and ship building capacity to support NCS operations.

Both agencies described each other as powerful allies in the shared goal of securing Nigerian borders against illicit trade.

The Customs CG emphasised his desire to finalise an agreement enabling the Navy to service NCS patrol boats and cutters.