Tinubu’s Investment Drive Will End Smuggling of Contraband Goods, Says Customs Boss

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano.

The acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s investment policy would bring an end to smuggling of contra-band goods into the country.

The Customs boss spoke during the Passing Out Parade for 956 General Duty Junior Officers, who ended their Basic Course 1/2023 training at Customs Training College, Goron Dutse, in Kano, yesterday.
According to him, Tinubu has demonstrated readiness to bring to end the illicit career of smugglers, through his renewed vigour to bring in investors and rebuild Nigeria’s economy.

He said, “I think smuggling, generally, is an act of sabotage; and Mr. President has demonstrated his readiness to give some kind of vigour, renewed vigour, renewed hope in our economy.

“When you look at some of the policies that he has taken in terms of making businesses thrive, bringing in investors and things like that, we are having these efforts to rebuild our economy, then there would be no room for smugglers or those who want to sabotage us.”
Speaking further, he said: “So, it has to be a kind of concerted efforts by everybody concerned, particularly, those communities living around our borders. And this was why I went to so many of them.

“I visited them, I had engagement with them. I sought for their support, their protection and their understanding. I made them to understand that our economy will not survive if we allow smugglers to continue to perpetrate their heinous crimes.

“We are happy that the narrative is changing gradually. I was in Shaki, in Oyo State some weeks ago, and I saw how the traditional rulers and leaders in those communities came out en masse, not only to welcome us, but to give us assurance that they would be ready to support us in all our training activities and in our operations.

“The story is not different when I went to the north-western borders. I had very serious engagements with members of the communities. We are hopeful that with their support, we will win significantly the war against smuggling.”
On the issue of shooting innocent Nigerians by the unscrupulous officers, Adeniyi said, “the era of our men while holding weapons would be shooting innocent Nigerians due to lack of sound training is over and has gone forever, and will not be repeated.”

The Comptroller General urged the new recruits to utilise the opportunity adequately and be diligence in their service to the Customs and the entire nation.
In his address, the Commandant of the Customs Training College, Mr. Rasheed Adahunse said: “These Junior Officers graduating today were found suitable in learning and character. It is pertinent to state that this Basic Course 1/2023 commenced on the 22nd of March, 2023, and the skills displayed by the graduands were mastered within this short period along with academic activities.

“The training graduates covered topics on Enforcement, Revenue, Valuation, Export and Import Procedures; Passenger Selection. Parcel Post, Administration, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Civil Relations and many more other courses to mention but a few. Examinations were conducted to ascertain their level of assimilation and were also graded.”