By Bon Peters
OWERRI/Nigeria: The Zonal Coordinator of Nigeria Customs Service, Zone C Headquarters, Port Harcourt, Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) SK Dangladima, has commended the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, Owerri, for its strategic anti-smuggling and revenue recovery efforts during a working and familiarisation visit to the command on Wednesday.
The visit, part of his ongoing tour of Customs formations under Zone C, was in line with a directive from the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, aimed at allowing zonal coordinators to interact directly with officers and stakeholders, and gain firsthand insight into the operational challenges and successes of their respective commands.
Addressing officers and men of the Unit, ACG Dangladima described FOU Zone C as critical to the service’s anti-smuggling architecture and praised the leadership of Comptroller BA Balogun for what he termed “an outstanding performance.”
“I score Comptroller Balogun 99% for his performance so far,” Dangladima said. “Federal Operations Units are not for every officer. You must be profiled and considered knowledgeable to be deployed here. Comptroller Balogun is a team player who understands the job.”
The ACG also applauded the CGC’s leadership, describing Adewale Adeniyi as a seasoned administrator with deep institutional knowledge and a clear reform agenda. He praised recent reforms, especially the transparent promotion examination process which he said was devoid of sentiment.
“Promotion is not a do-or-die affair. You must accept the outcome with faith, and continue to work hard. Promotion comes from God, but educational development will be a key criterion going forward,” he advised. He encouraged officers to pursue academic advancement, undergo training at Gwagwalada, remain connected with their families, and foster collaboration with sister agencies.
He emphasized the importance of discipline, urging officers to conduct themselves with decorum and remain security conscious. “Whatever you receive, give thanks to God first,” he concluded.
In his welcome address, Comptroller BA Balogun described the visit as an honour and a morale booster, reaffirming his Unit’s unwavering commitment to securing the nation’s borders and enhancing revenue collection. He said the command has recorded significant successes in anti-smuggling, revenue recovery, and inter-agency collaboration.
Balogun highlighted several major seizures, including prohibited items like foreign parboiled rice, second-hand clothing, used tyres, and notably, 3,022 pieces of dry salted donkey skin worth ₦3.6 billion intercepted on April 28, 2025. He described the seizure as a landmark operation, achieved through intelligence and tactical precision.
He further noted that demand notices and post-clearance audits have yielded significant revenue for the country, crediting the success to teamwork aligned with the CGC’s policy thrust of Consolidation, Collaboration, and Innovation.
Despite the strides, Balogun acknowledged existing challenges, including the absence of a standard warehouse for storing seizures. “Currently, we have no dedicated warehouse, forcing us to store seized items around our premises, which poses serious security risks, especially given the volatile environment and threats from groups like IPOB and unknown gunmen,” he said.
Nonetheless, he expressed confidence that the leadership of the CGC and the Zonal Coordinator would address these concerns. He also thanked Customs Headquarters for the recent allocation of 12 operational vehicles, six new and six refurbished—which he said had eased logistics challenges.
The ACG was taken on an inspection tour of the Unit’s medical clinic, gym facility, and a parcel of land proposed for the construction of a new warehouse. He was accompanied by senior officers including Comptroller Bodunde FA (Zonal Administration) and Comptroller Peterson Akpan (Imo/Abia Command).
ACG Dangladima’s visit reaffirms the Nigeria Customs Service’s ongoing commitment to strengthening operational efficiency, safeguarding national economic interests, and motivating its workforce across all zones.
