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Customs Moves To Reduce Smuggling

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12 years ago

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The Western Marine Command, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), on Saturday said the synergy between Customs Intelligent Unit and the command had helped in stemming smuggling in 2013.

The command’s Comptroller, Mr Zaka Audu, said in Lagos that the successes achieved in the fight against smugglers was the result of teamwork.

Audu said the command needed the assistance of other stations of the command to tackle smugglers because they were usually many and armed.

“Since smugglers are armed and many, customs officers will need help from co-officers in out stations to confront them.

“Before, when we confront these smugglers, they jump into water and our officers also jump into the water in an attempt to catch them and eventually get killed,’’ he said.

He said that the command with its headquarters in Lagos covered coastal areas of Kebbi, Igbokoda in Ondo State, Yekeme in Badagry and Idiroko as well as the South-West.

The comptroller stated that the efforts of the command had led to the seizure of contraband goods worth N29.5 million on Dec. 31, 2013.

“The seizure on Dec. 31 is between Badagry, Yekeme and Idiroko out stations. It is a seizure done within 24 hours and with information.

“And because the smugglers were armed, the officers came together to overpower them.

“The suspects jumped into the water and left the goods which were impounded,’’ Audu said.

According to him, smuggling is a serious offence against the country because it deprives it of its revenue.

He said that it was wrong for some people to want to bring goods into the country without paying import duty.

Audu said that if such a person was caught, he would be taken to court and jailed, hence, the smugglers preferred to jump into water when confronted.

The comptroller said it was regrettable that the government losses trillions of naira to smuggling activities monthly.

“If in 24 hours, the Western Marine Command seized contraband worth N29.5 million, you can tell how much contraband Idiroko, Seme and other commands would have confiscated.’’

He urged the government to provide vessels that would enable them to go into high seas to make seizures.

Audu said the officers could only work on the creeks but not move up to five or 10 kilometres into the high seas because of lack of vessels.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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