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Smugglers In Oyo Daring, Sophisticated – NCS Boss

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9 years ago

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The Comptroller General of
Nigeria Customs Service(NCS), retired Col. Ibrahim Ali, has described the activities of smugglers in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State as “daring and sophisticated.’’
The NCS boss, who was on a two-day working tour of Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Service, visited the border formations at Saki.
Ali, however, called for increased synergy between operatives of NCS and other security agencies.
He said that plans were underway to ensure that the agency was effectively equipped to carry out its primary functions of curbing smuggling, and generating revenue .
Ali urged officials to be more pro-active in intelligence gathering by monitoring what was happening around them and nipping this in the bud.
He also renewed his call for the establishment of community/customs relationship to further assist in anti-smuggling operations.
Ali disclosed that government was working assiduously toward installing border posts at necessary locations across the country.
According to him, this had already been factored into the scheme as part of efforts to curb smuggling in the country.
He said the present administration was committed to the welfare of officers and men of the service for optimal productivity.
“Anybody that wants performance must equally look after the welfare of the staff.
“We are doing everything to make sure that the welfare of the personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service is well taken care of.
“This is in terms of both residential and office accommodation, transport, insurance, remuneration and lots of other things, he said.
He added that, “we are not comfortable with a situation where we are renting office or residential accommodation for our service personnel.
“We need to motivate the service personnel to deliver and we are working with government to make sure that things improve”.
He said the NCS and FIRS remain the major source of revenue for the Federal Government.
“It is not a matter of choice; it is a must that we must step up our performance in order to garner that money to sustain this nation. We have no choice.
“Oil has gone so low that we can no longer be dependent on oil. Solid minerals have not been developed to the level that it will sustain us.
“So, the only source of stable revenue for the Federal Government is the FIRS and the Customs,’’ he said.ý

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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2 days ago

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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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2 days ago

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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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2 days ago

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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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