Acting comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi yesterday charged personnel at the Ogun Area 1 and 2 Command’s to remain extra vigilant towards ensuring that cross-border criminals do not take advantage of the current upheavals to smuggle any supplies to the Niger Republic.
This came as Adeniyi promised that NCS would make “appropriate recommendations” for a review of the restrictions on petroleum products supplied to fuel stations in and around the Idiroko border.
The acting CG stated these while addressing men and officers of the commands when he paid his first official visit to Idiroko Border as part of his familiarization tour of the NCS formations nationwide.
Adeniyi said the NCS’ need to be extra vigilant became necessary in view of the presidential directives, which brought about the closure of the Nigerian borders against the neighbouring Niger Republic as collectively agreed to by the Economic Communities of West Africa (ECOWAS).
Reiterating that NCS has a twin responsibilities of enhancing national and regional securities, Adeniyi disclosed that the service under him has taken some far reaching decisions and by the time its implementation begins, cross-border criminals would resort to exploring openings in some less vigilant borders to smuggle things into that country.
“Idiroko Border is a very strategic Gateway into Nigeria, Republic of Benin and by extension, the sub region. So, we cannot afford to allow criminals, who perpetrate crimes across our borders, to do things that are inimical to our national security.
“I am here this morning to remind ourselves of our collective mandate to keep away criminals operating around our borders. Whether they come in the forms of smuggling, human or drugs trafficking, or things that will affect our public health, we have a collective responsibilities to confront them and beat them to their games.’’
