The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division Nigerian Army and Commander, Sector 1 Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, Brigadier General Ugochukwu Unachukwu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to strengthened collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service to enhance the effective discharge of their respective mandates in the North East.
This assurance was given on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, when the Zonal Controller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Borno/Yobe States Command, Controller Muhammed Idris, led his management team on a courtesy visit to the Headquarters of 7 Division Nigerian Army at Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri.
In a statement signed by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 7 Division Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Haruna Mohammed Sani, Brigadier General Unachukwu described the relationship between the Nigerian Army and the NCS as long-standing and symbiotic, noting that both institutions play critical roles in safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and economic stability.
The GOC emphasised that the NCS remains a vital revenue-generating agency whose operations, particularly in the North East theatre of Operation Hadin Kai, require sustained inter-agency cooperation to succeed. He assured the visiting Customs officers of the Division’s continued support to ensure operational effectiveness, especially in border and hinterland security.
Earlier in his remarks, Controller Muhammed Idris said the visit was to appreciate the Nigerian Army for its consistent support and to further seek enhanced collaboration. He explained that Customs operations in Borno and Yobe States are largely concentrated around border areas, many of which are impacted by insurgent activities, making close coordination with the Nigerian Army indispensable.
Highlights of the visit included strategic engagements between both organisations, presentation of souvenirs, signing of the Division’s visitors’ book, and a group photograph to mark the occasion.
The visit underscores ongoing efforts to deepen inter-agency cooperation in the North East as part of a unified approach to security, border management, and national development.
