Babandede, South West Coordinator Applauds Apapa Customs

BY FUNMI ALUKO

ACG Babandede in a handshake with the DC Revenue, DC Miko, and others including the DC Admin and AC Abubakar on arrival at the command.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, on Thursday, 5 February 2026, received the Zonal Coordinator, Zone A, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs (ACG) Mohammed Babandede, on a familiarisation visit during which he commended officers and men of the Command for their exceptional performance in revenue generation, anti-smuggling operations and trade facilitation.

L-R: ACG Babandede, Comptroller Oshoba, CSC Isah and Zonal PRO

Addressing officers during the visit, the Zonal Coordinator stated that the purpose of his visit was to acknowledge the operational challenges faced by the Command, appreciate its notable achievements and further boost the morale of personnel who have consistently surpassed expectations, particularly in revenue collection in which the Command exceeded its annual target for 2025.

A cross section of officers of the command, including DC Nwala, during the meeting that followed

According to a statement by the Command Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, the ACG also lauded the Command’s sustained anti-smuggling efforts, especially significant seizures of narcotics and other illicit substances including cocaine and tramadol, describing these interceptions as critical contributions to national security, public health and societal safety.

He emphasized that effective enforcement remains fundamental to creating a secure environment for legitimate trade to thrive. While noting that the core responsibilities of the Service extend beyond revenue generation and include national security, public safety and trade facilitation, the Zonal Coordinator commended the Command for its effective inter-agency collaboration and urged officers to deepen cooperation with sister agencies, particularly in the deployment and promotion of trade facilitation tools that have positioned the Service at an upper-class operational rating.

The statement reads: “The Zonal Coordinator further stressed the importance of integrity, reputational management, mentorship and capacity building within the Command. He urged senior officers to transfer knowledge and experience to younger officers while also drawing attention to the importance of officers’ welfare and health”, further disclosing that drug tests would be conducted across Commands and advised officers to remain health-conscious for effective service delivery.

Speaking, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, expressed appreciation to the Zonal Coordinator for the timely and motivating visit. He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining its performance in revenue generation, enforcement, trade facilitation, inter-agency cooperation and ethical conduct in strict adherence to the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023 and in line with the policy thrust of the Comptroller General of Customs.

More photographs of the visit