Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — In a bid to further curtail the activities of smugglers, the leaderships of both the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, and the Nigerian Navy, NN are currently in talks to move against traders of prohibited goods with a view to ensuring a more secure waterway.
Disclosing in Abuja during a visit to the office of the Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, the Comptroller General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, said that the visit was to strengthen the already existing collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Navy (NN).
Adeniyi reassured his commitment to enhancing the relationship between the two agencies for effective anti-smuggling strategies across Nigerian waterways saying that, “It is important for us to participate in joint operations to combat smuggling activities. We also need to tap on the experience of the Nigerian Navy to enhance the capacity of personnel serving within the Customs Marine Units.”
The Customers boss further highlighted the NCS’s possession of ocean and creek-going vessels in its fleets adding the plan underway to transport the two ocean-going vessels to the Nigerian Navy Dockyard for maintenance.
He said: “It is necessary for us to prioritize intelligence-driven operations. This could be achieved through intelligence sharing between the two agencies,” he emphasized.”
In his reaction, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, expressed gratitude for the visit and underscored the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to assisting in enforcing Customs laws. He stressed the importance of reciprocal collaboration and assured that Nigerian Navy training facilities would be made available to the NCS at no cost.
Ogalla also addressed the need for deeper collaboration with an outfit of the Nigerian Navy meant for clearing items imported by the agency to mitigate all incumbrances.
He also shared a five-year-old Harmonized Standard Operating Procedure (HSOP) for monitoring maritime crimes and advocated for review considering the prevailing situation.
The meeting according to the Naval Chief, signifies a significant step towards enhancing maritime security and curbing smuggling activities along Nigeria’s coastal waters. The commitment to collaboration and mutual support sets a promising precedent for future joint efforts in safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity.
