CG’s APPOINTMENT OF D/COMPT IBRAHIM WILL HAVE A CONSEQUENTIAL EFFECT AT THE IDIROKO CORRIDOR
By Timothy Paul Okorocha
This is perhaps his second ‘missionary journey’ in the zone A, in less than fourteen months. When he superintended over the Federal Operations Unit, zone A, as officer in charge of Operations, he raised the bar.
One was under one humble anti-smuggling Czar and the other was during the reign of Baba Ibadan, who came in without taking a proper inventory, decided to seek for his redeployment to the Abuja Headquarters, perhaps as a punitive measure.
But like the golden fish that has no hiding place, it can easily be discovered, unraveled and given its proper pride of place. When he held sway at the FOU A, Deputy Comptroller Abdulhamid Ahmed Ibrahim caused harm in the ranks of daredevil smugglers; of course under the distinguished Assistant Comptroller General Hussein Ejibunu, you can’t afford to do less.
Ibrahim, a six footer and terror to economic saboteurs seized the opportunity offered by a versatile boss, who provided the required intelligence to harvest unprecedented seizures, yet unequaled in the recent history of the FOU A.
Ejibunu was a no-nonsense officer who detested corrupt activities arising from officers’ alleged connivance with smugglers.
Ibrahim, therefore, was an avid subordinate, who toed the path of his boss to run out smuggling barons from the scenes of Oyo axis, Seme/Badagry and within the seaport corridors.
To his credit, no less than N15 billion worth of seizures were recorded during his stint as officer in charge of operations under Ejibunu. Hard drugs, sophisticated arms and ammunition, thousands of bags of foreign parboiled rice, second hand clothing, as well as tokunbo cars and used tyres featured prominently during that impactful era, until Baba Ibadan decided to send him to Abuja where he contrition no small measure before a higher call to duty beckoned.
This Area Controller’s appointment remains one of the best choices that the Comptroller General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, PhD, has made. In looking for a replacement for the anti-smuggling Bulldozer-Afeni, there is no better fit.
It is on record how Afeni recorded more than N13 billion seizures in almost nine months of his stewardship at the Ogun 1 command. Therefore, it will be a disservice to bring in a greenhorn as his replacement.
Deputy Comptroller Ibrahim, no doubt has been tested and trusted, in terms of integrity, loyalty and quality service to the nation. In the class of the 2009 sets, he stands out. His anti-smuggling strategies, he hints, will be intelligence-driven.
His eyes are on the ball; big time interception of prohibited items.
His body language does not favour the witch hunting of our local traders who are trying to eke out a living- buying some manufactured items within Nigeria and exporting legally to neighboring countries.
He has given insight that he will square up with those who are out to ruin the nation’s economy by flooding our markets with contrabands that can be produced in Nigeria.
Ibrahim is also looking out for barons of drugs smuggling,as well as gun running importers.
Tagging them as notorious criminals, he has vowed to make the Idiroko corridor a no-go area for such illegal trade. But he has assured that legitimate traders will be encouraged more than ever before, in the spirit of trade facilitation.
Consultations with stakeholders have commenced since he arrived the command almost four weeks ago, while restructuring his operations team for effective delivery. It was not surprising therefore, that two weeks after his assumption of office; the anti-smuggling expert has showcased several seizures valued at more than N3,153,591,000.
He is not looking back; the interceptions, he disclosed included military camouflage, unregistered drugs, five trucks laden with contraband, Canadian loud, cannabis sativa, and tokunbo vehicles.
Ibrahim has sounded a dire warning to smugglers, of his zero-tolerance stance against smuggling and economic sabotage. ‘We are removing illicit goods to safeguard public health and support local traders;
Under the leadership of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, PhD, our command is fully equipped and strategically deployed to neutralize illegal trade and dismantle smuggling operations across the region’ he stressed.
Vowing their unwavering resolve to stamp out smuggling activities, he said collaborators of the evil act are in for a long war , as they will remain vigilant, alert and ready to contain any threat to the economic and security interests of the nation