The Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service has recorded seizures with a Duty Paid Value, DPV, exceeding N6 billion since the assumption of office of its Controller, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, while maintaining a zero-complaint record on obstruction of legitimate trade.<\/p>\n
The twin achievements highlight a rare balance between aggressive anti-smuggling enforcement and seamless trade facilitation, positioning the Unit as a model within the Service\u2019s operational framework.<\/p>\n
Controller Aliyu attributed the milestone to strict compliance with the policy direction of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, particularly his zero-tolerance stance on smuggling, emphasis on inter-agency collaboration and commitment to workforce motivation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat you have seen is a tip of the iceberg. We are determined to do more because we are trying to be steps ahead of smugglers,\u201d he said, noting that the Unit\u2019s reinvigorated round-the-clock patrols have significantly curtailed smuggling activities across the South-West corridor.<\/p>\n
He further stressed that the absence of complaints from stakeholders is a direct outcome of the Unit\u2019s compliance-driven approach and ongoing reforms in professionalism and capacity building among officers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not just preach the gospel of compliance to stakeholders, we ourselves are compliance personified,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Providing an overview of operations in the first quarter of 2026, the Controller said the Unit prioritised disrupting the supply chain of illicit drugs, particularly Cannabis Indica, popularly known as \u201cGhanaian Loud\u201d, which he described as pervasive along the South-West corridor.<\/p>\n
He noted that the Unit also intensified seizures of environmentally harmful items such as ozone-depleting substances, including refrigerator compressors, as well as smuggled vehicles that evaded border checks.<\/p>\n
In line with Federal Government policy on food security, the Unit also intercepted consignments of rice, vegetable oil and other prohibited imports.<\/p>\n
On inter-agency collaboration, Aliyu said the Unit has strengthened partnerships with key agencies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, to enhance intelligence sharing and operational efficiency.<\/p>\n
\u201cInter-agency collaboration remains central to our operation at the Unit. We have a robust relationship with all our strategic stakeholders, with a view to up-scaling our effort to secure the border corridors,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
Despite the operational hazards, the Controller acknowledged the loss of an officer in the line of duty, describing it as a painful reminder of the risks associated with anti-smuggling operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is unfortunate we lost an officer on the line of duty. That is one harsh example of the hazard we face on this job,\u201d he said, adding that the Unit is intensifying capacity building and situational awareness programmes to minimise casualties.<\/p>\n
He reaffirmed that the Unit remains undeterred, stressing that officers will continue to pursue smugglers relentlessly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will keep chasing them, ensuring they have no hiding place. Wherever they hide, we will not allow them enjoy sleep,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n
Aliyu also highlighted the importance of stakeholder engagement, noting that sustained interaction with border communities and port users has improved intelligence gathering and grassroots understanding of government policies.<\/p>\n
According to him, community engagement remains critical to effective enforcement, especially in border areas where cooperation is essential.<\/p>\n
On infrastructure, the Controller expressed optimism that the newly commissioned FOU Zone A headquarters in Ogun State would significantly enhance operations, describing it as a purpose-built facility that provides a conducive working environment and boosts personnel mo.[rale]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service has recorded seizures with a Duty Paid Value, DPV, exceeding N6 billion since the assumption of office of its Controller, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, while maintaining a zero-complaint record on obstruction of legitimate trade. The twin achievements highlight a rare balance between aggressive anti-smuggling […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1698,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsemperormagazines.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsemperormagazines.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsemperormagazines.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsemperormagazines.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsemperormagazines.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1697"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsemperormagazines.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1699,"href":"https:\/\/newsemperormagazines.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1697\/revisions\/1699"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsemperormagazines.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsemperormagazines.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsemperormagazines.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsemperormagazines.com.ng\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}