There is a change of leadership in the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos.
To this end, a new Customs Area Controller (CAC) has taken the reins of administration in the unit. He is Deputy Comptroller Olukayode Oladapo Afeni.
The change of leadership was sequel to the retirement of the CAC, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu.
Afeni who was formally received at the unit headquarter along Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, Lagos was in a statement signed by the unit’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) CSC Hussaini Abdullahi described as its 30th Acting CAC.
The handover ceremony which took place in the unit’s conference hall was witnessed by friends, colleagues and well-wishers of Afeni and Aliyu.
Also in attendance were the Acting CACs of the Port and Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML), Ogun 1 Area Command, and the Enugu/Ebonyi/Anambra commands, among other senior officers and stakeholders.
Afeni in his inaugural speech pledged what he called “purposeful, professional and accountable leadership” in furtherance of the mandate of NCS.
He expressed appreciation for the confidence reposed in him by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the NCS management team.
The Acting CAC said his administration would pursue “intelligence-led enforcement”, block revenue leakages, and protect Nigeria’s economic and security interests.
He emphasized that enforcement activities would be “firm, lawful and respectful of human dignity”, while legitimate trade would be facilitated through constructive engagement with traders, manufacturers, importers, exporters, customs brokers and other stakeholders.
He also called for stronger collaboration with sister security and law-enforcement agencies to combat trans-border crimes, including the illicit movement of drugs, arms, currencies, counterfeit goods and other prohibited items.
Afeni who is the immediate past Acting CAC, NCS, Ogun 1 Command, Idiroko promised to pay attention to officers’ welfare, professional development, institutional discipline, and regular sporting activities to promote fitness, teamwork and work–life balance.
Aliyu in his hand over address, expressed gratitude and humility, marking the occasion as a formal transfer of leadership while reflecting on the responsibilities and challenges of commanding the unit.
He noted that his administration focused on combating smuggling, revenue fraud, concealment, under-declaration, false declaration, and the movement of prohibited goods.
While highlighting major operational successes, he reported the interception of 779 smuggling attempts involving items such 20,900 bags of foreign parboiled rice,
61 used vehicles, thousands of used compressors and clothing items, foreign poultry products, and no fewer than 4,418 jerry cans of vegetable oil.
Other seizures of unit under Aliyu’s watch include 12,606 parcels of cannabis weighing 6,194.3kg; 2.30kg of cocaine; over 3,000 jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (76,505 litres); as well as 22 elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg
Aliyu revealed that these seizures among other items intercepted by officers and men of the unit had a total duty-paid value (DPV) of ₦13,075,056,616.00.
On revenue recovery, Aliyu reported a remarkable performance between 10 December 2025 and 24 September 2026 with the unit recovering ₦3,192,511,547.52, representing 798% of its ₦400 million annual target for 2026, and a 776% increase over the ₦411,451,901.18 recovered in the same period in 2025.
He attributed these achievements to “enhanced risk profiling, stricter compliance checks, targeted introspection into suspicious declarations, teamwork, professionalism and collaboration with sister agencies and stakeholders”, stressing that “no enforcement agency can succeed in isolation”.
While congratulating his successor, Aliyu assured him of a strong operational foundation and charging him to “lead with fairness, firmness, courage and sound judgment”.
He thanked the officers for their loyalty, discipline and resilience, and prayed for the success of the new leadership, the continued growth of NCS and the security of Nigeria.
