Border security: Customs to combat smuggling with technology

Saidu Yusuf, the assistant comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service‘s Southwest Zone, announced on Thursday that the agency will use the technology at its disposal to establish effective border control and combat smuggling head-on.

Yusuf also praised the Ogun Area II Command for setting a new income record for the Federal Government between January and August, surpassing the N14 billion earned during the same time the previous year by almost N20 billion.

Yusuf stated this during his appraisal visit to the command in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Yusuf said, “Efforts are ongoing to use technology to enhance our borders’ security and patrol. The CGC, Bashir Adeniyi, for the past year, has been very busy trying to coordinate apart from the border issue, even in the seaport. Every one of our operations is being automated, likewise at the border station.

“You are quite aware that about last week or so, the CGC inspected an aircraft bought on behalf of the Nigeria Custom Service for patrol in the borders.

“We are all aware that the borders are porous, and the only way we can monitor those borders is by using modern technology, but before you use this modern technology, training and re-training have to be embarked on, which the service is actively doing; acquiring that aircraft is part of the technology which the service has embarked on.”

“I can tell anybody contemplating on bringing in arms or any illicit arms, ammunition and drugs into Nigeria should have a rethink because Nigeria Custom Service under the current leadership is very active and very effective in terms of intelligence gathering with other sister security agents.”

Speaking on the command’s performance under Comptroller Olusola Alade, the ACG said, “We just reviewed the performance of the command a couple of hours ago. So far, up to August, the command has been able to generate over N20bn billion, close to N21bn.

“When you compare it to the corresponding period last year, we had about N14billion. We are all aware of the economic situation in the country and the exchange rate and all that. Even with that, the command has been able to perform wonderfully well”.

Alade, in his welcome address, appreciated Yusuf for his kind words and commendation of the command.

He, however, appealed for the provision of more accommodation for the officers in the command, while also requesting that the command’s clinic be equipped with the necessary items needed for medical services.

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