The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed the need for enhanced inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing, and coordinated operations to combat terrorism financing, money laundering, wildlife trafficking, and other transnational organised crimes threatening national and regional security.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, stated this on Wednesday during a study tour by participants of the Operational Level Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Regional Security Course 2 (CFTRSC-OPL2) from the National Defence College at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Adeniyi commended the growing investment in capacity development within the Service and praised officers drawn from various formations nationwide for their commitment to strengthening border security and financial crime enforcement.
He described Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list as a major achievement that boosted investor confidence and improved the country’s international financial reputation.
According to him, prior to Nigeria’s exit from the grey list, Nigerian-issued bank cards encountered restrictions abroad, negatively affecting international transactions and the nation’s global image.
The Customs boss noted that the responsibilities of the Service have expanded beyond revenue generation and traditional border enforcement, stressing that crimes such as trade undervaluation, overvaluation, wildlife trafficking, and the illicit movement of African resources now pose significant financial and security threats.
He disclosed that the Service is collaborating with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, and airline operators to develop automated currency declaration systems aimed at strengthening financial surveillance and compliance.
“For us to get ahead of these criminals, we must continue to work together and subject our individual mandates to broader national security objectives,” Adeniyi said.
Earlier, the Team Lead and Course Director Coordinator of the Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency/Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit at the National Defence College, Dr. Adam Abdullahi, stressed that terrorism financing remains a critical driver of global insecurity.
He called for closer cooperation among the Department of State Services, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Armed Forces, Customs, and other relevant agencies to strengthen national counter-terrorism efforts
“The lifeline of terrorism is financing, and tackling it cannot be done by one institution alone,” he said.
Also speaking, the officer in charge of the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing Unit of the NCS, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Mas’ud Salihu, explained how criminal syndicates exploit global supply chains and cross-border trade routes to move illicit funds and prohibited goods.
He highlighted the role of Customs in enforcing currency declaration regulations, intercepting arms and narcotics, and preventing the smuggling of contraband items, while advocating stronger local and international cooperation in tackling organised crime networks.
