The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, has charged officers of the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to place intelligence at the core of their professional conduct, stressing that no modern security or revenue operation can succeed without timely, credible and well-applied intelligence.
Adeniyi gave the charge at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College (NCCSC), Gwagwalada, during the opening ceremony of a training programme for CIU officers.
He described the programme as the Service’s first formal engagement of the year, noting that it presents an opportunity to shape the professional outlook and operational effectiveness of participants.
Welcoming the officers to the College, the CGC said the programme was taking place at a critical time, urging participants to see the new year as a chance to make meaningful contributions to the Nigeria Customs Service and national development.
Reflecting on recent global and domestic security developments, Adeniyi referenced military and security interventions in different regions, including operations within Nigeria that resulted in the interception of arms and ammunition. According to him, intelligence remains the common denominator behind every successful military or paramilitary operation.
He emphasised that Customs officers must understand the practical value of intelligence beyond theory, urging participants to revisit papers already presented during the programme, which he said contain essential guidance for effective field operations.
In his address, the Commandant of the NCCSC, Assistant Comptroller General of Customs (ACG) Dow Gaura, described intelligence as a quiet but decisive force in institutional transformation. He said the ability to gather, analyse and apply intelligence has become indispensable in responding to evolving security and economic realities.
ACG Gaura noted that the Nigeria Customs Service has continued to invest in intelligence-led training as part of its capacity-building strategy, describing the programme as a critical phase in the professional development of the participants. He explained that intelligence underpins risk management, revenue protection, the disruption of smuggling networks and the safeguarding of the national economy.
He urged officers to approach the training with seriousness, assuring them that Management had provided experienced facilitators, relevant materials and a structured learning environment to ensure effective outcomes. While acknowledging that the level of comfort might differ from what some participants were used to, he said the objective was to instil discipline and enhance focus.
Senior officers present at the opening ceremony included the Deputy Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Human Resources Development, Tijjani Abe; the Deputy Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Sulaiman Chiroma; and the Assistant Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Headquarters, Muhammad Shu’aibu, among others.
