The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja-Lagos, has appointed Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Olukayode Afeni as its 30th Acting Comptroller following the retirement of Comptroller Gambo Aliyu.

The change of leadership was formalised on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, during a handing-over ceremony held at the unit’s conference hall. Senior Customs officers, colleagues, stakeholders, friends and well-wishers attended the event.

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Acting Customs Area Controllers from the Port and Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML), Ogun 1 Area Command, and the Enugu/Ebonyi/Anambra Area Command were also present, alongside other senior officers and stakeholders.

Addressing the gathering, Afeni pledged to lead the unit with “purposeful, professional and accountable leadership” in support of the Nigeria Customs Service’s mandate.

He thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and the Service’s management for entrusting him with the responsibility.

Afeni said his administration would focus on intelligence-driven enforcement, revenue protection and the defence of Nigeria’s economic and security interests.

He added that enforcement activities would be conducted in a manner that was “firm, lawful and respectful of human dignity”, while legitimate trade would be supported through engagement with traders, manufacturers, importers, exporters, customs brokers and other stakeholders.

The new Acting Comptroller also sought stronger cooperation with sister security and law-enforcement agencies to combat trans-border crimes, including the trafficking of drugs, arms, currencies, counterfeit products and other prohibited goods.

He promised to prioritise officers’ welfare, career development and discipline, while encouraging regular sporting activities to promote fitness, teamwork and work-life balance.

In his farewell address, Aliyu thanked the Service for the opportunity to serve and reviewed the responsibilities and challenges involved in managing one of its major enforcement formations.

He said the unit’s operations under his leadership targeted smuggling, revenue fraud, concealment, under-declaration, false declaration and the movement of prohibited goods.

Aliyu disclosed that the unit made 779 seizures during his tenure, covering a broad range of prohibited and illegally imported items.

The seizures included more than 20,900 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 61 used vehicles, thousands of used compressors and clothing items, foreign poultry products, 4,418 jerrycans of vegetable oil and 3,000 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), equivalent to 76,505 litres.

The unit also intercepted 12,606 parcels of cannabis weighing 6,194.3kg, 2.30kg of cocaine and 22 elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg.

According to Aliyu, the seized items had a combined duty-paid value (DPV) of ₦13,075,056,616.00.

He further reported that the unit recovered ₦3,192,511,547.52 in revenue between 10 December 2025 and 24 September 2026.

The recovery represented 798 per cent of the unit’s ₦400 million annual revenue-recovery target for 2026, as well as a 776 per cent increase over the ₦411,451,901.18 recovered during the corresponding period in 2025.

Aliyu linked the result to improved risk profiling, tighter compliance checks, focused examination of suspicious declarations, teamwork, professionalism and cooperation with sister agencies and stakeholders.

He emphasised that successful enforcement depends on collaboration among government institutions and relevant stakeholders, observing that “no enforcement agency can succeed in isolation.”

While transferring authority to Afeni, Aliyu congratulated his successor and expressed confidence that the unit’s operational gains would provide a strong foundation for the new administration.

He urged Afeni to “lead with fairness, firmness, courage and sound judgment” and commended the unit’s officers for their loyalty, discipline and resilience during his tenure.

Aliyu also wished the new leadership success, prayed for the continued progress of the Nigeria Customs Service and called for the security of Nigeria.