Uchenna Cecil Izuora
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a broader, more integrated security drive aimed at disrupting terrorism financing, money laundering, and wildlife trafficking through intensified inter‑agency coordination and intelligence‑led operations. Speaking during a high‑level study tour by participants of the Operational Level Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Regional Security Course 2 (CFTRSC‑OPL2) at Customs Headquarters in Abuja, Comptroller‑General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi described the evolving security landscape as one that demands a unified national response rather than isolated agency efforts.
Adeniyi noted that Customs’ role has expanded beyond traditional revenue collection and border control into a core component of the country’s financial‑crime and counter‑terrorism architecture. With Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, he said the country has regained greater credibility in the global financial system, rectifying previous restrictions on Nigerian‑issued cards and cross‑border transactions that had hurt business and investor confidence.
The Comptroller‑General explained that offences such as invoice manipulation, undervaluation, overvaluation, and the smuggling of wildlife and other African resources have become serious financial crimes that feed corruption and instability. He disclosed that the NCS is deepening collaboration with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), banking institutions, and airline operators to deploy automated currency declaration systems and real‑time monitoring tools that track high‑value cash movements and flag suspicious trade patterns.
“Terrorism and serious crime are no longer fought only at checkpoints or ports; they are fought in data rooms, coordination centres, and joint operations rooms,” Adeniyi said. He urged agencies to subordinate individual mandates to the larger goal of national security and urged the NCS, security services, the military, and financial institutions to harmonise their mandates around shared intelligence and coordinated enforcement.
At the event, senior officials from the National Defence College, including Dr Adam Abdullahi of the CTCOIN/CFT Unit, stressed that terrorism financing remains the backbone of extremist networks worldwide and cannot be defeated by any one institution alone. They highlighted the need for a holistic “whole‑of‑government” approach, where Customs, the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), and other bodies share intelligence, conduct joint risk assessments, and align operational plans.
Assistant Comptroller of Customs Mas’ud Salihu, who leads the NCS’ Anti‑Money Laundering/Counter‑Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) Unit, walked participants through how criminal networks exploit weak links in global supply chains and lax currency controls to move illicit funds and goods. Salihu emphasised Customs’ critical role in intercepting arms, narcotics, and contraband, as well as in enforcing strict currency declaration policies and contributing financial‑intelligence leads to national and international partners. He called for stronger regional and international cooperation, including information sharing with neighbouring countries and global enforcement agencies, to systematically dismantle cross‑border crime syndicates.
The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation that Nigeria’s customs and security institutions are moving from a fragmented enforcement model to a more integrated, intelligence‑driven approach, positioning the NCS as a central node in the country’s broader fight against terrorism financing, organised crime, and the illegal wildlife trade.