AFENI, ADEWOLE, ALIYU, ALI, ZAKI & OBIKOYA: THE NEW ANTI-SMUGGLING CZARS LOADING
By Timothy Paul Okorocha
Anti-smuggling operations under the Enforcement Unit remains the major mandate of the Customs Service, followed by revenue generation as well as trade facilitation. Were it not for these men on ground and around our border corridors, sea/airports, the country would have been pummeled with dangerous drugs and perhaps arms and ammunition.
The influx of these uncustomed goods have impacted negatively on the citizenry especially the youths. and that’s why we must beam searchlight on those who have secured and continue to secure our lives through maximum enforcement duties.
In the last two decades, the Service has had course to celebrate officers who have distinguished themselves on the frontlines, squaring it up with economic saboteurs whose aim is to flood the country with unwholesome goods which are inimical to the growth of the nation’s economy as well as to the life of an average Nigerian.
Though, a distinguished senator now, one will not forget in a hurry the feats achieved by Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) Francis Ade Fadahunsi, OFR. His name is indeed synonymous with anti-smuggling, as he literally gave hell to smugglers of prohibited items nationwide. This was during his stint as the Co-ordinator of the Comptroller General’s anti-smuggling Strike Force.
Fadahunsi was dreaded, fighting smugglers to a stand still.. He made seizures running into several billions of naira, made arms seizures and adulterated pharmaceutical products, winning several awards locally and internationally for his patriotic service to the nation.
ACG Fadahunsi had a lot of foot soldiers who were in the trenches working on intelligence provided by their Co-ordinator for the purpose of interception of items which have been flagged. Some of those who worked with ACG Fadahunsi as junior and now middle level officers have climbed ranks over the years, occupied sensitive positions also in the Enforcement and command levels.
The Alajoguns, the Ejibunus, the Kayodes, the Kolades and the Wale Adenugas were all his ‘boys’ who made serious marks in the Service. Of recent, the likes of ACGs MS Shuaibu ( in charge of Headquarters) Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu, Compt Balogun have all taken anti- smuggling operations to the peak that names will continue to ring bell even after their exit from the service.
The newest anti-smuggling Czars in the making have debuted and they are working like mad to etch their names on the sands of time, and they are majorly in the Assistant/Deputy Comptrollers cadre. Three are superintending over three sensitive commands, namely the Idiroko command, Oyo/Osun command and the KLT command.
Other crack officers are the National Co-ordinator of the Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Compt AL Aliyu and some of his lieutenants-Deputy Compt Ali, the Whirlwind commander in the North East, Assistant Comptrollers Zaki Abubakar in charge of the western zone, and Obikoya in charge of southern zone.
A peep into the activities of these great officers shows resolve, resilience and impact from the new anti-smuggling experts. With the eagle eye to spot out the officers with the requisite capacity, the Comptroller General appointed Compt Wale Adenuga, Deputy Comptrollers Afeni, Adewole and Aliyu to take charge of major enforcement jurisdictions and the result is mouth watering.
Afeni, Adewole and Aliyu proved themselves with great seizure profiles to their credit. They have continued to sensitize the communities as well as stakeholders on the dangers of smuggling. Sometimes, at daggers-drawn with smugglers, but they have always excelled.
In one month of his arrival in Oyo/Osun command, Deputy Compt Moses Adewole announced a N2.7 billion seizures, posting a N99.5 billion revenue for 2025. At the Idiroko borders, Deputy Compt O.O Afeni has as well posted a seizure profile worth N4.2 billion and gearing up fighting drug barons, who cross-cross from Benin Republic to the country.
Deputy Compt Aliyu in conjunction with his boys have been giving petroleum smugglers nightmares. These men will remain the latest anti-smuggling Czars to watch in the years ahead as some of the old stock retire in three months’ time.