Customs Police Wins Zonal Command Games As Adeniyi Seeks Better Sports Facilities

The Customs Police Unit has emerged champion of the football competition at the 2026 Zone A Inter-Command Games after defeating the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command 1-0 in the final.

The decisive goal came early in the first half, with the Customs Police Unit holding on to its slender advantage until the final whistle to clinch the football title.

The victory sparked celebrations among players and supporters as the Unit emerged overall football champion in the sporting competition organised to promote physical fitness, teamwork and camaraderie among officers.

The football competition formed part of the Zone A Inter-Command Games, which featured 16 teams from Customs commands across the zone competing in four sporting disciplines, football, chess, badminton and table tennis.

The games, held from August 17 to September 5, 2026, at the Customs Training College, Ikeja, Lagos, were organised under the theme, “Fit to Serve, United to Lead.”

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, commended the leadership of Zone A and the organising committee for the quality of the competition and the activities surrounding the event.

Adeniyi said the games reflected the three pillars of his administration, consolidation, collaboration and innovation, while stressing the importance of sporting activities in strengthening unity and professionalism among officers.

He noted that the participation of sister agencies, including the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), demonstrated the collaborative relationship among agencies responsible for maintaining national security.

The Customs boss also described the parade by participating commands as one of the highlights of the event, commending the officers for their creativity in their outfits and presentations.

Adeniyi called for the revival and expansion of the competition beyond the zonal level, recalling that the Nigeria Customs Service had previously organised similar zonal games before progressing to inter-zonal competitions.

He also called for improved sporting infrastructure across Customs formations, particularly training facilities, noting the Service’s contribution to sports development in Nigeria.

According to him, the Nigeria Customs Service currently has teams and athletes excelling in several sporting disciplines, including volleyball, basketball, football, beach volleyball and athletics.

He said improved sporting infrastructure would provide officers with greater opportunities to develop and showcase their talents.

Adeniyi disclosed that the planned new location of the Customs Training College in Ogun State would include suitable sporting facilities.

He added that efforts could also be made to provide temporary sporting facilities at the existing college to cater to the needs of recruits.

Beyond the medals and trophies, the Customs boss urged officers to embrace the values embedded in sporting competitions, particularly discipline, teamwork and strategy.

“The virtues of discipline, teamwork and strategy are very important takeaways from a competition like this.”

He explained that the same qualities were essential to effective Customs operations, noting that discipline was critical to patrol operations, teamwork was necessary for inter-agency collaboration, while strategy was vital to achieving the Service’s revenue-generation objectives.

Earlier, the Zonal Coordinator, Zone A, Assistant Comptroller-General Mohammed Babandede, expressed appreciation to Adeniyi for approving the games, saying the competition would not have been possible without his support.

Babandede also commended the organising committee for successfully staging the games and bringing the various commands together for the competition.

He urged participants not to judge the event solely by its final results, stressing that everyone who took part was a winner.

The zonal coordinator encouraged the officers to use the experience as motivation to improve themselves, strive for excellence and return stronger in future competitions.