CG ADENIYI, ALI & SENATOR FADAHUNSI HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART—ACG EJIBUNU
Anti-smuggling Czar, Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) Hussein Kehinde Ejibunu has paid glowing tributes to the present Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, PhD, MFR for the great opportunity given him to showcase his potentials in the service.
Going memory lane, he recalled that there were three persons in the customs that ‘made my life worth it’s
In an interview on the sidelines of his well attended retirement party in Lagos yesterday, Ejibunu singled out Senator Francis Ade Fadahunsi, MFR, former Comptroller General Ali, and current Customs Boss Wale Adeniyi for ‘showcasing’ him to the world.
He did not miss out former Industry’s minister as well as that of Internal Affairs, Major General Abdullahi Bagudu who assisted in his enlistment in the service.
ACG Ejibunu pointed out that it was Fadahunsi who brought him to the CG strike force when he ( Fadahunsi) was the Co-ordinator.. He remained the last man standing with Fadahunsi then.
Also, he stated that while he was at the Abuja Headquarters, the former CG Ali made him a commander of the strike force in Abuja. ‘So, one day, in line with my duty call, I went to a military barrack and intercepted 22 Hilux vehicles.
That was when Ali started watching me.
So, when the opportunity came out at the Federal Operations Unit, zone A, he quickly drafted me to superintend over it’ According to the distinguished officer, ‘when CG Adeniyi came on board, a lot of officers, out of sentiments asked that I should be removed, but Wale Adeniyi said ‘No’ Adeniyi made me a Comptroller in December 2023,
In April 2024, he brought me to the Abuja Headquarters, made me the pioneer National Co-ordinator of the Operation Whirlwind, where we were constantly interfacing with several agencies on how to nip smuggling of petroleum products in the bud.
There in Abuja, Adeniyi also made me an Assistant Comptroller General (ACG)’ According to Ejibunu, the work they did with the Operation Whirlwind earned us a presidential commendation.
On the state and future of the service, he advised that the CG should try and see to the conclusion of the reforms he has embarked upon before he leaves the service.
He maintained that this is necessary so that the young ones that are coming up would have been fully tutored to be able to carry on with the future stability of the service.
He express some regrets that the experienced ones are gradually going, but noted that there is still hope in the present crop of officers to fully imbibe the knowledge passed to them now.
On the most challenging time for him in the service, he said it was when his two officers were killed while he held sway at the FOU’A’
‘I wept bitterly’
One of the slain officers, he noted was dumped in a ditch after they were ambushed by smugglers.
‘It was after that ugly incident that I gave orders that such criminals henceforth be shot from the knee cap below.
We will treat the victims and charge them to court’
He also recalled when they ran into lions during one of their operations in Niger state after intercepting 65 tokunbo vehicles.
ACG Ejibunu thanked the Almighty God for showing him mercy during his 35 years stewardship at customs. Several retired and serving officers as well as government functionaries graced the occasion.
They include a versatile customs administrator-Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) Alajogun,fsi
DCG Omale, DCG Adeola and DCG Abba Kura. Others are ACG Joy Edelduok, Comptrollers Aliyu of FOU’A’, Deputy Comptroller Afeni in charge Idiroko border command, as well as representative of the Secretary to the Kogi state government.