The Nigeria Customs Service has evolved over the years since the appointment of Hameed Ibrahim Ali as the Comptroller General.
Here is one appointment that has attracted encomiums to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. In fact, even the appointee has left no one in doubt of his capability, as he progressively improve on the revenue generation mandate of the agency.
He has gradually injected the military’s operational and administrative efficiency into the organization. Sequel to this new discipline, the revenue record of the Customs has continued to increase in all its operational space.
In 2018, the Customs under Ali raked in a revenue of N556 billion, with 1,927 seizures, as against N486 billion from January to June 2017.
Even at that, the inter-agency collaboration under the Comptroller General has been commendable with the large seizures by the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, of the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS). It was reported that the unit has handed over a total of 3,851kg of Indian hemp, known as cannabis sativa, worth N308 million to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Inter-agency collaboration is always very helpful and such synergy cannot be underrated as it improves not only relationships but advances national unity and enhances national security. Perhaps, one example of deficit of inter-agency collaboration was the bombing of the Twin Towers in the United State of America by the terrorist group known as Al Quida. The absence of inter-agen cy collaboration in sharing intelligence report or information often affects the security of a country. Collaboration among security agencies is apt and very important. Countries whose security agencies are at loggerheads cannot overcome security breaches when they arise.
It cannot be downplayed that the former CG Abdullahi Dikko planted like Paul in the Bible who said in 1 Corinthians, chapter 3, “I have planted, Apollos watered.” The present great works of Hameed Ali are sequel to the good foundation of his predecessor. This is how organizations should be run. Each leader doing great works that would impart on the personnel. It is like constructing a building, after the foundation, then the ground floor and so it continues.
Another recent inter-agency collaboration was the surprise donation of five patrol vehicles to Delta State Police Command by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor.
According to him, the gesture of the Hilux patrol vehicles to the police was done in the spirit of inter-agency collaboration.
General Irabor was represented by 63 Brigade Commander, General Mayeranso David Saraso.
The vehicles were received by Commissioner of Police Delta State Police Command, CP Ari Muhammed Ali, in company with members of the command’s management team.
From all indications, it looks like the Customs new sermon of inter-agency collaboration is yielding the desired results, if the recent comment from the Controller Kebbi Area Command, the anti-bunkering squad, who struck and intercepted the 11,950 litres of PMS and evacuated the product to the command’s headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, is anything to go by. While commenting on the development, the Customs Area Controller, Kebbi Area Command, Comptroller Joseph Attah, lauded the fruitful collaboration of relevant units under the command, stressing the need for security agencies to share information, work together and achieve results in the interest of the nation. “Together we are stronger”, he said.
If the new vigor of the Nigeria Customs is to be better appreciated, then there is the need to juxtapose this new agency orientation with another of its success stories. Nigeria Customs, in collaboration with Wildlife Justice Commission, intercepted 397kg of pangolin scales, and arrested eight suspects in connection with the seizure. Three of the arrested suspects were identified as Vietnamese. They were involved in the attempted trafficking of large amounts of pangolin scales and ivory through Nigeria.
Preliminary investigation revealed these three Vietnamese nationals as high-ranking members of a major organized crime group involved in the trafficking of ivory, pangolin scales, rhino horns and lion bones from Mozambique and South Africa through Nigeria to Vietnam. The three suspects were arrested while sourcing for pangolin scales in Nigeria, 397.5kg of which were found in their possession.
It is important to note that the Wildlife Justice Commission is an international body that works to disrupt and dismantle networks of illegal wildlife trade.
Through an intelligence-led operation, the collaboration between NCS and WJC led to the confiscation of 400kg of pangolin scales put up for sale on the illegal network. The two organizations were able to identify other members of the criminal syndicate for arrest.
To further put a stop to the environmental destruction posed by these unscrupulous elements, the suspects have been charged to court on various counts bordering on the illegal trade in wildlife.
These arrests came as part of a proactive enforcement targeting the top echelon of wildlife traffickers worldwide, and are assessed to have caused unprecedented disruptions to organized global wildlife trafficking networks.
This is the fourth major illegal wildlife arrest in one year resulting from the strategic partnership between the Nigeria Customs Service, Wildlife Justice Commission and other foreign governments. It demonstrates the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service as a formidable ally in the fight against wildlife trafficking.
Initial crackdowns in 2021 had resulted in discoveries of 7.1 tons of pangolin scales and 850kgs of ivory, all of which were seized by the NCS.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), while commending officers of the service for their efforts in breaking the chain of illegal wildlife trade and unlawful deforestation and tree felling activities, assured the public that the service would leave no stone unturned in its efforts to support the rest of the world in protecting endangered species and preventing deforestation.
“Nigeria Customs Service would never allow perpetrators of these crimes to profit from it or escape the wrath of the law,” he said.
In 2021, the Comptroller-General of Customs at a media briefing in Lagos showcased a seizure of pangolin scales and elephant tusks worth N22.6 billion. The achievement was widely acknowledged as a major boost to the fight against the extinction of endangered wildlife species in Nigeria.
Such collaboration needs to be more functional among security agencies that are constitutionally mandated to secure the internal security of the country. Unfortunately, because this has not been well promoted, enemies of the state have effectively had their way in perpetrating evil. Security agencies should also hold a summit to iron out their differences.
(Concluded)