The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is facing a significant internal crisis as it struggles with corruption within its ranks and among bonded terminal operators. Comptroller General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has exposed a syndicate involving unscrupulous Customs officers and terminal operators who are facilitating the smuggling of hard drugs through the nation’s seaports. This alarming revelation underscores a severe threat to Nigeria’s efforts to maintain a drug-free society and safeguard national security.
What They Are Saying
Adeniyi noted the recent interception of 1,072 kilograms of cannabis indica and other pharmaceutical drugs worth N4.1 billion at the Tin-Can Island ports. He described the syndicate’s modus operandi, which involves transferring imported containers from the port without examination and diverting them directly to owners’ premises instead of bonded warehouses. This process facilitates the smuggling activities and compromises the integrity of Customs procedures.
Adeniyi stated, “We have seen, recently, a growing number of containers that were either not examined in the port before they are released or those that were stemmed down into terminals, they left the ports on transpire, but they never got to those terminals and some of them found their ways into the premises of the importers for whatever nefarious activities or the other.”
He emphasized the broader implications of these actions, beyond revenue loss, noting the danger these drugs pose to national security if they reach criminal elements.
Actions Taken
Adeniyi assured that the NCS is actively identifying those involved within and outside the service and will impose strict sanctions. “We will not spare the Customs officers involved, we will not spare the terminal operators, we will not spare those bonded warehouses that use their facilities as sanctuaries for this kind of illegitimate business,” he declared.
Intelligence has revealed that the issue extends beyond Tin-Can Island Port, implicating other ports such as Apapa, Onne, and Port Harcourt. The misuse of off-dock and bonded terminals facilitates these illegal activities. Adeniyi acknowledged that some Customs officers might be complicit, exacerbating the problem.
Bottom Line
The Nigeria Customs Service is committed to rooting out corruption within its ranks and among terminal operators to combat the smuggling of illicit drugs. The agency is determined to uphold the law and protect national security by imposing the harshest penalties on those found guilty.
