Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has participated in a high-level France–Nigeria strategic dialogue on combating transnational illicit drug trafficking, held at the Embassy of France in Nigeria.
The meeting, themed “Trends, Gaps and Opportunities to Strengthen Nigeria’s Response to Transnational Illicit Drug Trafficking and Related Crimes,” brought together key national and international stakeholders from law enforcement, regulatory, and security agencies.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, was represented at the forum by the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba.
Opening the dialogue, the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, underscored the importance of sustained international cooperation, intelligence sharing, and institutional synergy in addressing cross-border drug trafficking.
During the panel session, Comptroller Oshoba responded to questions from Folusho Adelekan of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, on successes recorded by the Nigeria Customs Service in drug interceptions at ports and the prosecution of offenders.
He attributed these achievements to effective leadership, strengthened inter-agency collaboration, and the legal framework provided by the Nigeria Customs Service Act. He added that gains recorded under the immediate past Comptroller-General are being consolidated under the current leadership of Adewale Adeniyi, guided by the Service’s core mandates of collaboration, innovation, and consolidation.
Oshoba highlighted strategic partnerships with agencies, including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, the Nigeria Police Force, INTERPOL, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, and the Nigeria Forensic Intelligence Agency, describing them as critical to intelligence-led operations and successful prosecutions.
He further emphasized Customs’ frontline role at seaports, airports, and land borders, noting that capacity-building, the deployment of modern technology, and intelligence-driven enforcement have enhanced the Service’s ability to disrupt drug-trafficking networks.
Delivering the keynote address, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Major General Buba Marwa (Rtd.), acknowledged the contributions of INTERPOL and other international partners and commended inter-agency collaboration in strengthening border security and drug control efforts.
Participants at the interactive session identified challenges such as manpower gaps, the need for stronger political will, and the need for improved transparency within the justice system, agreeing that addressing these issues would significantly enhance Nigeria’s collective response to organized crime.
In his closing remarks, Ambassador Fonbaustier thanked participants for their contributions and reaffirmed France’s commitment to sustained engagement and future strategic dialogues in the fight against transnational crime.
