Customs officers must outsmart smugglers, go intelligence-led — Adeniyi

Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has urged officers to adopt intelligence-led operations, deploy modern technology and strengthen professionalism to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated smuggling networks.

Adeniyi, who gave the charge on Thursday at the inaugural Customs Police Summit in Abuja, said criminal networks were becoming more sophisticated, requiring Customs officers to develop smarter strategies to combat smuggling and other transnational crimes.

He said the era of relying largely on conventional enforcement methods was giving way to intelligence-driven operations capable of identifying and disrupting criminal networks.

His words: “Criminal networks have grown more sophisticated. They use the same routes as legitimate traders to move firearm components, narcotics, fake medicines, protected wildlife and illicit funds, often through digital channels. Our answers must be smarter; they must not be harder.”

The Customs chief called for a more professional, accountable and technology-driven Customs Police Unit (CPU) to tackle emerging security threats, combat illicit trade, strengthen institutional integrity and protect the nation’s borders.

Integrity, professionalism

Adeniyi charged CPU personnel to uphold the highest standards of integrity, stressing that the Service must lead by example before demanding accountability from traders and members of the public.

“Before we demand integrity from traders and the public, we must show it ourselves,” he said.

He cautioned officers against abusing their enforcement powers, noting that the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 had conferred extensive police powers on the Service, which must be exercised within the limits of the law.

“Authority requires restraint. The NCS Act 2023 gives us sweeping police powers, but every search, arrest and detention must rest on lawful grounds and withstand public and judicial scrutiny,” he said.

The Customs boss said enforcement and trade facilitation should complement each other, citing initiatives such as the One-Stop Shop and World Customs Organisation (WCO) instruments, including the Safe Framework of Standards, Authorised Economic Operator programmes, Advance Rulings, Time Release Studies and the Revised Kyoto Convention.

According to him, these instruments help reduce opportunities for abuse, corruption and arbitrary exercise of discretion.

Adeniyi said the Service had undergone structural renewal and remained committed to building a disciplined, responsive and professional police unit.

He recalled that since the establishment of the Customs Police Unit in 2018, it had undertaken complex investigations, lawful arrests and enforcement support, helping to protect the Service’s institutional interests.

However, he said changing global trade patterns and emerging national security threats made it necessary to continually review the unit’s operational framework and personnel capabilities.

He warned that enforcement without professionalism could lead to injustice, while the unaccountable exercise of authority could erode public confidence in the institution.

Customs reviews police unit’s mandate

Adeniyi disclosed that the Service was considering a review of some of the CPU’s responsibilities, particularly the escorting of containers in transit, in view of technological improvements in cargo monitoring.

He recalled that the unit’s establishment in 2019 generated agitation and resentment among some personnel, partly because of concerns over its assigned responsibilities.

With technology providing more effective ways of monitoring containers in transit, he said it was necessary to reassess the unit’s mandate and identify duties that could be performed more efficiently through modern systems.

He also emphasised the importance of collaboration with other security agencies and anti-corruption bodies, noting that effective Customs policing required expertise in intelligence gathering, surveillance, risk analysis and modern investigative techniques.

He urged officers to respect human rights, observe lawful procedures and ensure the proper treatment of suspects.

CPU must uphold integrity, Adeniyi tells officers

Addressing CPU personnel, Adeniyi urged them to uphold discipline, restraint and integrity, describing these values as essential to protecting the reputation of the Service.

“The red that you wear carries the trust of Nigerians and the reputation of the Service. Wear it with discipline, wear it with restraint, wear it with pride,” he said.

Earlier, the Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Headquarters, Muhammad Shuaibu, described the CPU as critical to national security, internal discipline, specialised criminal investigations and compliance monitoring.

He said its responsibilities included enforcing regulations, investigating misconduct, protecting officers and promoting professionalism and accountability.

The Acting Provost Marshal, Saulawa Sanusi, pledged to lead a disciplined and professional unit committed to safeguarding the integrity and reputation of the Service.

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