Customs, NSCDC deepen border ties against smuggling

By : Azeez Kareem

Date: 15 January 2026 4:50pm WAT

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Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have stepped up cooperation to strengthen border security and curb smuggling activities in northeastern Nigeria, as enforcement agencies intensify coordination along key border corridors.

The partnership followed a courtesy visit by the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, Comptroller Mohammed Tako, to the office of the NSCDC State Commandant, Idris Bande, in Yola on 5 January.

The meeting focused on operational collaboration in security, public safety and border management across Adamawa and Taraba states.

Tako said the engagement aimed to consolidate existing cooperation between the two agencies, emphasising that effective border control depends on sustained inter-agency coordination.

He said Customs remained committed to working closely with sister security agencies in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities.

“The visit underscores the importance of inter-agency cooperation in enhancing security operations and ensuring the effective execution of our mandates,” Tako said.

In response, Bande described the Nigeria Customs Service as a strategic partner in national security and assured the Customs delegation of the NSCDC’s readiness to provide tactical support when required. He said such support would be particularly focused on border protection and management, adding that security agencies in Adamawa State operate as a unified front.

He further said Customs would continue to be fully integrated into joint security efforts in the state, noting that collaboration among agencies had improved operational outcomes in recent years.

In January, the command announced the interception of more than 50,000 litres of premium motor spirit suspected to be smuggled across border routes.

The petroleum products were packed in 1,868 jerry cans, with a duty-paid value estimated at ₦58.1 million. Customs officials stated that the seizures were made at various locations following intelligence-led operations.

In the same period, the command also reported the seizure of bales of used clothing, a category of goods prohibited under Nigerian law, as part of efforts to curb the inflow and outflow of contraband along the border.

Customs authorities have repeatedly said smuggling of petroleum products and other prohibited goods remains a major challenge in border communities, particularly in regions with extensive and difficult-to-monitor routes.

Across the country, Customs commands have intensified cooperation with sister agencies in recent months. In Lagos, the Western Marine Command recorded seizures of contraband, including narcotics and food items, during joint operations with other security agencies, with seized drugs handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

Similar inter-agency engagements have been reported in Oyo, Osun and Katsina states, where Customs officials held coordination meetings with the NSCDC and other security services.

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