Reps Applaud Onne Customs for Surpassing Revenue Targets, Seizing Arms and Illicit Drugs
By Bon Peters
ONNE/Nigeria: The House of Representatives Committee on Customs and Excise has lauded the Customs Area Controller of Onne Port Command, Comptroller Mohammed Babandede, and his team for their outstanding performance in revenue generation, anti-smuggling efforts, and trade facilitation.
The commendation came during a two-day oversight visit by the committee to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Zone C Headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The delegation, led by the Committee Chairman, Hon. Leke Abejide, assessed operations across nine customs commands but singled out the Onne Command for special praise.
Speaking to journalists, Hon. Abejide described the Onne Command as a strategic revenue hub, ranking just behind Apapa and Tin Can in size and importance. He revealed that despite operational challenges—such as inadequate accommodation, shortage of scanners, and lack of functional patrol vehicles—the Command had not only met but surpassed its revenue targets.
“We are satisfied with what we saw at Onne,” Abejide stated. “Comptroller Babandede and his team have exceeded expectations in revenue generation. If I were to score him, I would give him 99 percent.”
He noted that in the first quarter of 2025 alone, the Onne Command generated over N190 billion in revenue, which represents a 17.12% increase from the same period in 2024. The monthly revenue currently ranges between N60 billion and N66 billion, surpassing the assigned monthly target of N58 billion.
The committee chairman also praised the Command’s efforts in anti-smuggling, highlighting the interception of 20 containers filled with illicit drugs valued at over N10 billion, as well as a cache of arms and munitions. These seizures, he said, could have posed grave threats to national security had they not been intercepted.
“These are remarkable achievements,” Abejide said. “Even the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, personally received the seized items and handed them over to appropriate authorities.”
Abejide confirmed that the committee had taken note of the pressing operational challenges faced by the Command. “I wrote them down myself,” he said. “When we return to Abuja, I will sit down with the CGC and ensure these issues are factored into the 2025 budget. What we can fix through budgeting, we will; what requires plenary intervention, we will pursue.”
Zonal Coordinator, Customs Zone C, Assistant Comptroller General SK Dangaladima, also expressed satisfaction with the visit, saying it underscored the cordial relationship between the legislature and the NCS. He noted that the visit would bring renewed attention to long-standing issues affecting the welfare and efficiency of officers in the zone.
“As you can see, those officers who performed well have been promoted,” Dangaladima said. “Customs has a reward system that encourages excellence and discourages mediocrity.”
Comptroller Babandede, in his remarks, reiterated the Command’s commitment to exceeding its 2025 targets. He confirmed that eight officers involved in the successful seizures had been given special promotions by the CGC in recognition of their intelligence-led operations.
“We are doing our best with the resources available,” Babandede said. “But more scanners would significantly enhance our operational capacity. We currently have only one functional scanner at the WACT terminal, which is insufficient for a port of this magnitude.”
The visit featured an interactive session with maritime stakeholders, including representatives of Terminal Operators, ANLCA, NAGAFF, APFFLON, and bonded terminal operators. The lawmakers also inspected the lone functional scanner at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), underscoring the urgent need for more equipment to aid customs operations at Onne.
The Committee’s visit ended with renewed commitments from all sides to strengthen trade facilitation, combat smuggling, and enhance the welfare of customs personnel in the zone.
