Kaila Takes Charge at Seme Customs

…Vows Tougher Anti-Smuggling Drive

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has a new helmsman as Comptroller Abdullahi L. Kaila formally assumed leadership on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, during a brief handover ceremony at the ECOWAS Joint Border Post, Seme-Krake.

Kaila, who succeeded Comptroller Wale Adenuga, is no stranger to the Seme border frontier command, having served across various cadres and in different enforcement units. His posting is seen as strategic, given his deep familiarity with the dynamics of anti-smuggling operations along the busy border corridor.

In his valedictory remarks, Adenuga highlighted the command’s revenue leap from N5.17 million to N1.5 billion during his tenure, attributing the feat to the dedication of officers and men. He urged them to extend full cooperation to his successor.

While thanking Adenuga for taking the command a notch higher than he met it, Kaila pledged to consolidate on the gains in revenue collection, anti-smuggling campaigns, and stakeholder engagement. He reminded officers of the NCS’s core mandates, and the urgency to at all time focus on trade facilitation, suppression of smuggling, and national security. This is even as he stressed the importance of discipline, professionalism, and unity as the bedrock of success.

His words: “It is with a deep sense of responsibility that l assume duty today here in Seme as the new CAC. I am sincerely grateful to the CGC, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, PhD and his management team for the confidence reposed in me to serve at this capacity. Let me start by appreciating the outgoing CAC who happened to have been my boss in many places where we worked together.

“Sir, we thank you and we appreciate you for your leadership, for your dedication. We thank you for the foundation you have laid for the continuous success of this command. We acknowledge and recognize your contributions towards the command’s revenue generation, trade facilitation, and suppression of smuggling. We assure you that by the Grace of God that we will consolidate on the positive things you recorded here so that by the time you look back, you will be proud of us.”

Addressing his officers and men, Kaila said, “l feel highly honoured to be here to work with you. One thing l know is that the task ahead of us is enormous  because of the sensitivity and the strategic position of this command; and because of the importance of this command to the nation’s economy. I want to believe that with unity, discipline and dedication to work, we will achieve a greater milestone.

“So I urge you all, officers of the command to remain committed to the core mandate of the NCS which is revenue generation, trade facilitation, and suppression of smuggling.”

On his focus and operational policy, the Seme Border new sheriff zeroed on discipline and respect for the rules of engagement, through open door policy.  

“My administration is going to focus on professionalism, discipline, intelligence driven enforcement, transparency, reputational management, border security and effective collaboration with all stakeholders. We are going to strengthen our operational strategy to ensure that all revenue due to the federal government is realized. We will also ensure that we promote legitimate trade.

“To all our other stakeholders including community leaders, we are going to maintain an open door policy, while we collectively help to promote compliance with customs extant rules. To our sister armed forces and security agencies, l assure you that we will consolidate on the already robust relationship. We in the NCS as already espoused by my predecessor believe that collective cooperation is essential to national security and stability”, Kaila said.

The ceremony drew representatives from sister agencies including the Nigerian Army, Police, Immigration, FRSC, NDLEA, Port Health Service, Nigeria Air Force, and community leaders, underscoring the collaborative spirit at the border post.