Customs FOU Zone A Gets New Acting Comptroller as Aliyu Retires
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A), Ikeja-Lagos, has appointed Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Olukayode Afeni as its 30th Acting Comptroller, following the retirement of Comptroller Gambo Aliyu.
Afeni formally assumed leadership of the unit on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at a handing-over ceremony held at the FOU Zone ‘A’ conference hall in Ikeja.
The ceremony was attended by senior Customs officers, Acting Customs Area Controllers of the Port and Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML), Ogun 1 Area Command and the Enugu/Ebonyi/Anambra Command, as well as friends, colleagues and other stakeholders.
In his inaugural address, Afeni pledged to provide purposeful, professional and accountable leadership in line with the mandate of the Service.
He expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the management of the Service for the confidence reposed in him.
The new Acting Comptroller said his administration would prioritise intelligence-led enforcement, revenue recovery and the protection of Nigeria’s economic and security interests.
He said enforcement would remain firm and lawful while respecting human dignity, adding that legitimate trade would be facilitated through engagement with traders, manufacturers, importers, exporters, customs brokers and other stakeholders.
Afeni also pledged stronger collaboration with sister security and law-enforcement agencies to tackle trans-border crimes, including the smuggling of drugs, arms, currencies, counterfeit goods and other prohibited items.
He further promised to prioritise officers’ welfare, professional development and institutional discipline, while encouraging sporting activities to promote fitness, teamwork and work-life balance.
Aliyu Highlights Operational Achievements
In his valedictory address, the retired Comptroller, Gambo Aliyu, said his tenure focused on combating smuggling, revenue fraud, concealment, under-declaration, false declaration and the movement of prohibited goods.
Aliyu disclosed that the unit intercepted 779 smuggling attempts during his tenure, with seizures including more than 20,900 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 61 used vehicles, thousands of used compressors and clothing items, foreign poultry products and 4,418 jerrycans of vegetable oil.
Other seizures included 12,606 parcels of cannabis weighing 6,194.3kg, 2.30kg of cocaine, more than 3,000 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), equivalent to 76,505 litres, and 22 elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg.
He put the total duty-paid value of the seizures at ₦13.075 billion.
On revenue recovery, Aliyu said the unit generated ₦3.19 billion between December 10, 2025 and September 24, 2026, representing 798 per cent of its ₦400 million annual target for 2026.
According to him, the figure also represented a 776 per cent increase over the ₦411.45 million recovered during the corresponding period in 2025.
He attributed the performance to enhanced risk profiling, stricter compliance checks, targeted examination of suspicious declarations, teamwork, professionalism and collaboration with sister agencies and stakeholders.
Aliyu stressed that the success of enforcement agencies depended on effective collaboration, noting that “no enforcement agency can succeed in isolation.”
The retired Comptroller congratulated Afeni on his appointment and urged him to build on the operational foundation inherited from the outgoing administration.
He charged the new Acting Comptroller to lead with fairness, firmness, courage and sound judgment, while thanking officers of the unit for their loyalty, discipline and resilience.
He also expressed optimism about the continued growth of the Nigeria Customs Service and prayed for the success of the new leadership and the security of Nigeria.