….Customs boss says stronger intelligence sharing and inter-agency cooperation are key to defeating organised criminal networks
By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service has intensified calls for closer collaboration among security and financial intelligence agencies to combat terrorism financing, money laundering, wildlife trafficking, and other transnational organised crimes threatening national and regional security.
Speaking during a study tour by participants of the Operational Level Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Regional Security Course 2 at the Customs Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi said the fight against financial and cross-border crimes requires sustained intelligence sharing and institutional synergy.
Adeniyi described Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list as a major breakthrough that has helped restore investor confidence and improve the country’s international financial reputation.
According to him, Nigerian-issued bank cards previously faced restrictions abroad before the country exited the grey list, creating challenges for international transactions and damaging Nigeria’s global image.
The Customs boss noted that the responsibilities of the Service now extend beyond revenue generation and border control, stressing that crimes such as trade undervaluation, overvaluation, wildlife trafficking, and illicit exportation of African resources have become critical financial and security threats.
He disclosed that the Service is working closely with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, and airline operators to deploy automated currency declaration systems aimed at strengthening border surveillance and financial monitoring.
“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, Adam Abdullahi, warned that terrorism financing remains the backbone of extremist activities across the world.
He called for stronger operational coordination among the Department of State Services, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Armed Forces, Customs, and other security institutions.
“The lifeline of terrorism is financing, and tackling it cannot be done by one institution alone,” Abdullahi stated.
Also speaking during the session, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Mas’ud Salihu, who heads the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Unit, said criminal syndicates continue to exploit global supply chains and international connectivity to move illicit funds, arms, drugs, and prohibited goods across borders.
Salihu stressed the importance of strict enforcement of currency declaration policies and stronger local and international cooperation to disrupt criminal networks operating across multiple jurisdictions.
