Afeni Assumes Leadership at FOU Zone ‘A’ As Aliyu Bows Out

Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Olukayode Afeni has taken over as Acting Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, following the retirement of Comptroller Gambo Aliyu.

According to a press statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Unit, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Hussaini Abdullahi, the colourful handing-over ceremony, held at the Unit’s conference hall in Ikeja, was witnessed by colleagues, friends and well-wishers of both officers, Acting Customs Area Controllers of PTML Command, Ogun I Area Command and Enugu/Ebonyi/Anambra Area Command, senior officers and critical stakeholders.

At the handover ceremony, Afeni pledged professional, accountable leadership anchored on intelligence-led enforcement, revenue protection, and safeguarding Nigeria’s economic interests. He emphasized synergy with sister agencies to combat trans-border crimes and promised improved welfare for officers.

He expressed profound gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, PhD and the entire Management team for the confidence reposed in him.

He stressed that his administration would be anchored on three pillars – intelligence-led enforcement, blocking all revenue leakages and protecting Nigeria’s economic and security interests.

“We will ensure that enforcement activities are firm, lawful and respectful of human dignity, while legitimate trade will be facilitated through constructive engagement with traders, manufacturers, importers, exporters, licensed customs agents and other stakeholders,” Afeni emphasized.

He solicited stronger synergy with sister security and law enforcement agencies
and assured officers and men of improved welfare packages, continuous professional development and institutional discipline, adding that regular sporting activities will be encouraged to promote physical fitness, teamwork and work-life balance.

In his valedictory remarks, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu (rtd) described his tenure as challenging but fulfilling, noting that his team focused squarely on smuggling, revenue fraud, concealment, under-declaration and false declaration.

Aliyu declared that between December 10, 2025 and September 24, 2026, the Unit intercepted 779 smuggling attempts with a combined Duty Paid Value of N13,075,056,616.

He gave the breakdown of the seizures as over 20,900 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 61 units of used vehicles, thousands of used compressors and second-hand clothing, foreign poultry products, 4,418 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 12,606 parcels of cannabis weighing 6,194.3kg, 2.30kg of cocaine, over 3,000 jerrycans of PMS equivalent to 76,505 litres and 22 elephant tusks weighing 130.84kg.

Aliyu noted that the Unit recovered a whopping N3,192,511,547.52 within the period. This figure, he said, represents 798 percent of the Unit’s N400 million annual revenue target for 2026 and a 776 percent increase over the N411,451,901.18 recovered in the corresponding period of 2025.

According to him, the success recorded could be attributed to enhanced risk profiling, stricter compliance checks, targeted examination of suspicious declarations, teamwork and robust inter-agency collaboration.

Congratulating his successor, Aliyu hinted that he was inheriting a solid operational structure built on recent enforcement and revenue gains, and charged him to “lead with fairness, firmness, courage and sound judgment.”

He appreciated officers and men of the Unit for their loyalty, discipline and resilience throughout his tenure and wished the new leadership success.