Afeni Takes Over As Controller, Pledges Intelligence-Led Enforcement As Aliyu Bows Out With N3.19bn Revenue Recovery
Afeni Takes Over As Controller, Pledges Intelligence-Led Enforcement As Aliyu Bows Out With N3.19bn Revenue Recovery
By Success Okezie
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday ushered in a new era of leadership as Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Olukayode Afeni formally assumed duty as Acting Comptroller.
Afeni took over from Comptroller Gambo Aliyu who retired from active service after a meritorious career.
The colourful handing-over ceremony, held at the Unit’s conference hall in Ikeja, was witnessed by colleagues, friends and well-wishers of both officers, Acting Customs Area Controllers of PTML Command, Ogun I Area Command and Enugu/Ebonyi/Anambra Area Command, senior officers and critical stakeholders.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, by the Public Relations Officer of the Unit, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Hussaini Abdullahi.
In his maiden address, the new Acting Controller promised purposeful, professional and accountable leadership that will advance the core mandate of the Service.
Afeni expressed profound gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, PhD and the entire Management team for the confidence reposed in him.
He said his administration would be anchored on three pillars – intelligence-led enforcement, blocking all revenue leakages and protecting Nigeria’s economic and security interests.
“We will ensure that enforcement activities are firm, lawful and respectful of human dignity, while legitimate trade will be facilitated through constructive engagement with traders, manufacturers, importers, exporters, licensed customs agents and other stakeholders,” Afeni declared.
He further solicited stronger synergy with sister security and law enforcement agencies in tackling trans-border crimes such as illicit drug trafficking, arms smuggling, currency trafficking, counterfeit goods and other prohibited items.
On welfare, Afeni assured officers and men of improved welfare packages, continuous professional development and institutional discipline, adding that regular sporting activities will be encouraged to promote physical fitness, teamwork and work-life balance.
In his valedictory speech, the outgone Controller, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, described his tenure as challenging but fulfilling, noting that his team focused squarely on smuggling, revenue fraud, concealment, under-declaration and false declaration.
Aliyu disclosed that between December 10, 2025 and September 24, 2026, the Unit intercepted 779 smuggling attempts with a combined Duty Paid Value of N13,075,056,616.
Breakdown of the seizures showed over 20,900 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 61 units of used vehicles, thousands of used compressors and second-hand clothing, foreign poultry products, 4,418 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 12,606 parcels of cannabis weighing 6,194.3kg, 2.30kg of cocaine, over 3,000 jerrycans of PMS equivalent to 76,505 litres and 22 elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg.
On revenue recovery, Aliyu said the Unit recovered a whopping N3,192,511,547.52 within the period under review.
According to him, the figure represents 798 percent of the Unit’s N400 million annual revenue target for 2026 and a 776 percent increase over the N411,451,901.18 recovered in the corresponding period of 2025.
He attributed the feat to enhanced risk profiling, stricter compliance checks, targeted examination of suspicious declarations, teamwork and robust inter-agency collaboration.
“No enforcement agency can effectively achieve its mandate in isolation. Inter-agency cooperation remains critical in combating cross-border crimes and revenue leakages,” he said.
He congratulated his successor, noting that he was inheriting a solid operational structure built on recent enforcement and revenue gains, and charged him to “lead with fairness, firmness, courage and sound judgment.”
Aliyu also thanked officers and men of the Unit for their loyalty, discipline and resilience throughout his tenure and prayed for the success of the new leadership and the continued growth of the Nigeria Customs Service
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