The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) have expressed their readiness to strengthen their cooperation to fight against the scourge of small arms and light weapons proliferation in the country. Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, made this known when a delegation of the NCCSALW, led by its National Coordinator, DIG Babatunde Kokumo (rtd), visited him at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja.
Addressing the entourage, Adewale stressed its readiness to intensity surveillance and strict enforcement measures to ensure greater security and stability for all Nigerians by curbing proliferation of small arms and light weapons across the country.
Adeniyi described Kokumo’s appointment as the National Coordinator of NCCSALW by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu as “placing a round peg in a round hole” and expressed readiness to strengthen their alliance to promote public safety and security through advocacy and effective public awareness.
“I want to believe that you’ve brought a wealth of experience to this assignment, and I have no doubt that you will have a successful tour of duty. Let me also say that Nigeria Customs Service is delighted to collaborate with the centre to create your mandate,” he said.
Lamenting on the security challenges in the West African sub-region, Adeniyi informed the National Coordinator of the Nigeria Customs Service’s modest contributions to ensuring proficient scrutiny of merchandise coming into the Nigerian shores to avoid letting them into the wrong hands.
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“You remember that some few days ago, we recorded a successful interception of arms and other military wares at Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos. If you may recall, we’ve also had some similar seizures before in Port Harcourt Port, Onne. Earlier this year, we had some interception at the Tin Can Ports with drugs.
“So there’s nothing that demonstrates the power of collaborations more than what this particular case has done for us. As a Service, we are interested in the lessons we should learn from these seizures. There’s a need to improve our investigations not just for those who bring in small arms and light weapons, but in encountering smugglers daily,” he stated.
Earlier in his address, Kokumo commended the Comptroller-General and members of his management team for all forms of collaboration and synergy that his centre enjoys from the NCS, adding, “I thank you for the opportunity afforded us to meet you, and I wish to let you know that we have been monitoring your activities.”
Kokumo further briefed the Comptroller-General: “It may interest the CGC, Sir, that the centre, being multi-agency by nature, has major government agencies, including customs officers, working at the centre fighting the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.”
He further commended Adeniyi for his recent achievements in the seizures of arms and ammunition at the ports, which, according to him, will go a long way in controlling the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country.
