The Comptroller of the Oyo/Osun Customs Area Command, Joseph Adelaja, has stressed the importance of collaboration in tackling smuggling at border stations. Adelaja made this statement on Tuesday when a delegation from the Nigeria Customs Liaison Office, Cotonou, Benin Republic, visited the command’s operational headquarters in Ibadan.
Adelaja acknowledged the significance of the Liaison Office in strengthening cross-border relations, noting that the visit aligns with the policy thrust of the Comptroller-General of Customs, B.A. Adeniyi. This policy is centered on collaboration, consolidation, and innovation.
Adelaja assured the delegation of the command’s full support in facilitating their duties and encouraged them to extend similar cooperation by enhancing intelligence sharing. “Such collaboration is crucial in combating smuggling activities at border stations under the command’s jurisdiction,” he stated.
The Oyo/Osun Command is committed to maintaining strong inter-agency relationships to enhance trade facilitation and ensure national security. In response, Chief Superintendent of Customs O.M. Olanrewaju expressed appreciation for the warm reception and highlighted the core functions of the Nigeria Customs Liaison Office.
These functions include fostering cooperation between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Republic of Benin Customs, facilitating trade between both nations, and enhancing intelligence gathering and sharing between Customs formations at border areas. “Our operational responsibilities cover the Idiroko border, Kwara, and Oyo State borders, and we are fully committed to strengthening cooperation in these strategic areas,” Olanrewaju stated.
He emphasized that reinforcing collaboration between border stations would significantly improve the effectiveness of anti-smuggling measures and enhance trade facilitation, which is central to the mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service.