DC Adewole Rewards Officers for Excellence as Oyo/Osun Customs Reports 8-Month Performance

…Hands Over Seized Contraband to NESREA, NDLEA and Nigeria Police Force for further actions.

ZAINAB JUNAID

The Acting Customs Area Controller of Oyo/Osun Area Command, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Deputy Comptroller Wale Moses Adewole, has rewarded eight officers of the command with meritorious awards for exceptional performance, as the command presented its performance review from January to August 2026.

The awards were presented at a press briefing held on Thursday, 17 September 2026, at the command’s operational headquarters in Ibadan, Oyo State, where DC Adewole also disclosed that the command generated ₦65,661,343,026.94 (Sixty-Five Billion, Six Hundred and Sixty-One Million, Three Hundred and Forty-Three Thousand, Twenty-Six Naira, Ninety-Four Kobo) in revenue between January and August 2026.

This figure according to him, is 13.88 percent increase over the ₦57,656,161,990.24 collected in the same period last year.

Adewole attributed the increase to the command’s sustained commitment to effective revenue collection, trade facilitation, stakeholder engagement and improved compliance strategies.

On anti-smuggling operations, Adewole said the command recorded seizures of uncustomed goods in August 2026 with a cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦4,106,951,689.00 (Four Billion, One Hundred and Six Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty-Nine.

He highlighted the contraband to include: 2,012 bags of Foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each

550 bags of Foreign parboiled rice of 25kg each

2,440 Wraps of Cannabis Sativa

1,150 Pieces of Used Tyres

101 Pieces of Used Compressors

48 Packs of Tramadol of 225mg each

105 Bales and 28 Sacks of Used Clothings

18 Sacks of Used Shoes

450 Kegs of PMS of 25 Litres each (Totalling 5000 Litres)

33 Bottles of Foreign Vegetable Oil of 3 Litres each

30 Bags of Foreign Sugar of 60kg each

573 Pieces of Nigeria Police Force Crest

92 Yards of Nigeria Police Force Camouflage Uniform Fabric

17 Units of Used Vehicles (Tokunbo)

10 Units of Means of Conveyance

10 Containers of Corrosive 8 Mercury

1 Jack Knife

1 Pistol

6 Pieces of Pistol Magazines

1 Pump Action Magazine

60 Detonating Cord

DC Adewole raised concern over the interception of Nigeria Police Force crests and camouflage uniform fabric as particularly concerning, warning that unauthorised possession of such materials could be exploited by criminal elements to impersonate law enforcement, gain access to restricted locations, or facilitate criminal activity.

He equally flagged the interception of corrosive mercury, describing it as a hazardous substance capable of causing fire, explosion, injury, property damage and loss of lives if improperly handled, stored or transported.

In a show of interagency collaboration, the command handed over the seized cannabis, police paraphernalia and other items to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Police Force for further action.

Dc Adewole said the interceptions reflected the vigilance, professionalism and commitment of the command’s officers, as well as the value of intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with sister security agencies.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to revenue generation, trade facilitation and the fight against smuggling, while assuring that legitimate businesses would not be unduly impeded.

He also commended the press for their continued partnership and responsible reportage of NCS activities.

“The uncontrolled movement of such materials can expose members of the public to risks of fire, explosion, injury, property damage, and, in extreme circumstances, loss of lives. The interception therefore helped to prevent potentially hazardous materials from entering circulation and being handled by unauthorised persons.

“These interceptions demonstrate the vigilance, professionalism and commitment of our officers and men, as well as the importance of intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with sister security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

“The Oyo/Osun Area Command remains committed to improving revenue generation, facilitating legitimate trade and sustaining the fight against smuggling and other forms of economic sabotage.

“We will continue to pay particular attention to items that have implications for national security and public safety, while ensuring that legitimate businesses and law-abiding members of the public are not unduly impeded.

“We also appreciate the Gentlemen of the Press for their continued partnership and responsible reportage of the activities of the Nigeria Customs Service.

I assure you that the Command will continue to discharge its mandate professionally and in accordance with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023,” the Acting Controller concluded.