When Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Olukayode Afeni assumed leadership of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), expectations were already high. His reputation had preceded him, particularly his recent stewardship of the Ogun I Area Command, Idiroko, where he demonstrated an unusual capacity to combine border security, revenue mobilisation, anti-smuggling enforcement and legitimate trade facilitation.
His arrival at FOU Zone A on September 30, 2026, therefore represented more than another routine change of leadership. It brought to one of the Service’s most strategic enforcement formations an officer whose operational experience cuts across the essential responsibilities of Customs administration and whose approach to institutional performance appears firmly anchored on measurable results.
For an officer who had taken the Idiroko Command through a remarkable operational trajectory, the challenge at FOU Zone A is considerably broader. It is not simply about maintaining the momentum of anti-smuggling operations or increasing the volume of seizures. It is about understanding the relationship between enforcement, revenue protection, compliance management, administrative efficiency and the larger economic responsibility of the Nigeria Customs Service.
Barely four weeks into the assignment, Afeni has offered an early indication of the direction he intends to take. His maiden press briefing in Ikeja, Lagos, on November 3, 2026, provided the first comprehensive scorecard of his administration, revealing a combination of intensified enforcement and deliberate interventions to recover government revenue.
Within the four-week period under review, FOU Zone A recorded 195 interceptions involving prohibited and restricted goods with a combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦6.194 billion. More significantly for the revenue administration conversation, the Unit recovered ₦683.661 million through intensified compliance checks, scrutiny of import declarations, correction of under-valuations and issuance of demand notices.
The distinction between these two figures is important. While the DPV of intercepted goods reflects the economic value of the enforcement operations, the ₦683.661 million represents actual revenue recovery through interventions in the Customs compliance and assessment chain.
Together, they offer an early indication of an administration seeking to expand the definition of operational success beyond the familiar spectacle of seizures.
Revenue Consciousness Beyond Routine Enforcement
Available indications suggest that Afeni is approaching his responsibility with a clear sense of direction. His recent intervention with the leadership of various entry points, including Releasing Officers and Compliance Seats, is particularly instructive.
His warning that officers must sit up and ensure the optimisation of Customs revenue, which he insists must be jealously guarded, reveals an administration increasingly interested in the revenue implications of everyday Customs operations.
It is a message that goes beyond routine official admonition. It speaks to a fundamental understanding that Customs revenue is not generated exclusively through the interception of smuggled goods or the recovery of duties from detected infractions.
A substantial part of the revenue responsibility lies within the regular clearance and release processes, where classification, valuation, assessment, compliance verification and proper application of tariff regulations determine whether government receives the revenue legally due to it.
The November 3 scorecard has now provided practical evidence of this philosophy. Afeni attributed the ₦683.661 million recovered within the reporting period to enhanced risk profiling, targeted examination of questionable declarations, teamwork and closer collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
These interventions point to a more deliberate effort to identify and correct revenue deficiencies before they become permanent losses to government.
Revenue leakage can occur through deliberate under-declaration, wrong classification, undervaluation, false documentation, improper concessions, non-compliance with import conditions and other irregularities that undermine the integrity of the Customs clearance system.
Consequently, an effective Customs administrator must understand not only how to intercept prohibited consignments but also how to identify weaknesses in the revenue administration chain and ensure that every legitimate Customs obligation is properly assessed and collected.
Afeni’s decision to draw the attention of entry-point leadership, Releasing Officers and Compliance Seats to revenue optimisation suggests an appreciation of these operational realities.
The officers involved in the clearance process occupy critical positions in determining the accuracy of declarations, the correctness of assessments and the compliance status of consignments before release. A system in which these responsibilities are taken seriously is less vulnerable to revenue leakages.
Afeni’s approach appears to be one of making revenue consciousness an operational culture rather than leaving it as an abstract management target.
A Record That Precedes the New Assignment
There are measurable indications from his previous assignment that help explain why his posting to FOU Zone A generated considerable expectations.
At Ogun I Area Command, Afeni reported that the command generated ₦896.539 million between January and August 2026 against an assigned revenue target of ₦545.348 million.
The command also processed 31,177 metric tonnes of exports with a Free-on-Board value of ₦4.64 billion during the period, against no recorded export activity in the corresponding period of 2025.
These were not isolated revenue figures. They reflected an operational philosophy that recognised the economic importance of facilitating legitimate commercial activity while maintaining strict control against prohibited trade.
The enforcement dimension was equally substantial. Between December 4, 2025 and September 29, 2026, Ogun I recorded 327 seizures with a combined Duty Paid Value of approximately ₦14.75 billion. The seizures covered foreign parboiled rice, petroleum products, illicit drugs, arms and ammunition, endangered wildlife and other prohibited items.
Taken together, the figures presented an administration that understood the relationship between Customs revenue, border security and trade facilitation.
They also demonstrated that enforcement need not become an obstacle to legitimate trade when officers possess the competence to distinguish compliant commercial activities from economic sabotage.
That experience provides a useful reference point for assessing the expectations surrounding his present assignment.
Consolidating an Established Enforcement Structure
At FOU Zone A, Afeni inherited an established enforcement structure with a substantial performance record under his predecessor, retired Comptroller Gambo Aliyu. At the September 30 handover, Aliyu disclosed that the Unit recovered ₦3,192,511,547.52 between December 10, 2025 and September 24, 2026, representing 798 per cent of its ₦400 million annual revenue recovery target.
The Unit also recorded 779 interceptions involving goods with a combined Duty Paid Value of ₦13.075 billion.
These figures provide the operational baseline against which the new administration’s performance will eventually be assessed. They are achievements of the Aliyu administration and should properly be recognised as such.
Afeni’s immediate responsibility, therefore, is to consolidate the foundation he inherited, strengthen the Unit’s operational capacity and ensure that revenue recovery becomes an even more integrated part of its enforcement and compliance activities.
His first four-week scorecard suggests that this transition is already taking shape. The recovery of ₦683.661 million within the period is particularly significant because it demonstrates that revenue protection is receiving attention alongside the Unit’s conventional anti-smuggling responsibilities.
It also provides an indication of the possibilities inherent in combining intelligence-led enforcement with more rigorous scrutiny of import declarations and compliance procedures.
Four Weeks ₦6.19bn Interceptions and a Wider Security Mandate
Beyond the revenue recovery figures, Afeni’s maiden briefing offered a revealing picture of the wider economic, public health and security implications of smuggling.
The 195 interceptions recorded within four weeks covered narcotics, food products, petroleum products, pharmaceutical substances, used vehicles, wildlife and other restricted imports.
Among the most significant were 5,986 parcels of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica weighing 3,407.83 kilogrammes, alongside 400 grammes of cocaine and 100 grammes of methamphetamine.
The Unit also intercepted 57 cartons, 37 packs and six pieces of codeine syrup, as well as 1,250 rounds of 12-calibre Red Star cartridges.
Perhaps even more alarming was the interception of 23,220 pieces of new machetes imported without the requisite End User Certificates and permits.
Afeni raised concerns about the possible security implications of such a consignment, particularly as Nigeria approaches another electoral cycle.
His warning that illegally imported weapons and implements could provide material support for organised political violence added a significant dimension to the Unit’s enforcement operations.
“Election violence is rarely an isolated incident but facilitated and aided by smuggling activities like the one thwarted by our operatives,” he cautioned.
The concern is not without operational relevance. Smuggling networks can provide access to prohibited materials that may subsequently be deployed for purposes far removed from their original commercial importation.
The cannabis seizure also attracted particular attention from the Acting Controller, who cited the 2025 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), noting that cannabis remains the most widely available and commonly used illicit drug globally, accounting for an estimated 42 per cent of drug use disorder cases worldwide.
He warned that increasingly potent cannabis varieties, particularly the strain popularly marketed as Colorado, were destroying the prospects of young people while aggravating family disintegration, social vices and pressure on the healthcare system.
His assessment was captured in a statement that could well become the defining philosophy of his enforcement approach: “We will not measure our success by how much we seize, but by how much harm we prevent.”
The declaration is significant because it moves the performance conversation beyond the monetary value of intercepted merchandise to the wider consequences of preventing dangerous goods from entering the domestic economy.
Other interceptions during the period included eight live pangolins, 21 foreign-used vehicles, 11 means of conveyance and a 40-foot container, number SEGU 5347239, containing 2,760 pieces of office chairs in completely knocked-down condition.
The Unit also intercepted 173 cartons of imported frozen poultry products, 6,949 cartons of smuggled spaghetti, 459 bales and 39 jumbo sacks of second-hand clothing, 1,236 used tyres, 33 used rims and 8,025 litres of Premium Motor Spirit.
Food-related seizures included 3,028 bags of 50kg imported rice, 995 bags of 25kg, 104 bags of 20kg and 207 bags of 5kg; 101 bags of imported sugar weighing 50kg each; eight bags of imported creamer powdered milk, 12 bags of grain oat products, 20 cartons of couscous and 250 cartons of Lotus sardine without NAFDAC registration numbers.
The breadth of these interceptions underscores the expanding security, economic and public health dimensions of the smuggling challenge confronting the country.
However, their significance for revenue administration also lies in the need to ensure that enforcement intelligence is translated into better compliance monitoring and more effective protection of legitimate government revenue.
Intelligence, Inter-Agency Cooperation and Revenue Protection
Afeni’s initial actions indicate that he is not approaching the assignment as an exclusively patrol-oriented responsibility.
On October 14, he commenced a familiarisation tour of strategic security and law-enforcement agencies in Lagos, including the Police, Department of State Services, Nigerian Army’s 81 Division, NDLEA, Nigeria Immigration Service and 9 Brigade.
The engagements were designed to strengthen intelligence sharing, information exchange and joint operations against smuggling and other trans-border crimes.
At his maiden briefing, he reinforced the importance of this approach, identifying the NDLEA, Nigeria Police Force, DSS, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Army, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) among the agencies with which the Unit sustains operational collaboration.
He explained that seized narcotics and suspects would be handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution, while other prohibited items would be transferred to the appropriate agencies in accordance with their statutory responsibilities.
The Unit’s October interception of illicit drugs and pharmaceutical products valued at ₦511.4 million, subsequently handed over to NDLEA and NAFDAC for appropriate investigation and further action, provides an indication of the operational importance of these relationships.
The rescue of eight live pangolins in two separate operations in Ogun State further demonstrates the breadth of the Unit’s enforcement responsibilities, extending beyond conventional revenue-related infractions to public health, environmental protection and national security.
This is an important component of revenue protection. Smuggling networks do not operate independently of other criminal activities, and their operations frequently exploit weaknesses in intelligence coordination and institutional boundaries.
By strengthening inter-agency relationships, Afeni is seeking to improve the intelligence environment within which Customs enforcement operates.
The next institutional challenge will be ensuring that information generated through these collaborations is systematically deployed to identify recurring patterns of non-compliance, suspicious importation practices and potential revenue exposure.
The Administrative Discipline Factor
One of the distinguishing features of effective Customs leadership is the ability to combine firmness with professional courtesy, operational pressure with administrative fairness, and institutional discipline with stakeholder confidence.
This is particularly important in FOU Zone A, whose enforcement responsibilities bring it into regular contact with importers, manufacturers, transport operators, Customs brokers and other commercial interests.
An administration that is result-oriented must nevertheless understand that the pursuit of revenue must be guided by the law, established procedures and professional standards.
Afeni’s declared commitment to firm but lawful enforcement, respect for human dignity and constructive engagement with legitimate businesses provides an important framework for this balance.
His recent revenue-focused warning also carries an internal administrative message: officers cannot afford to treat their responsibilities as routine exercises detached from the overall performance objectives of the Service.
Releasing Officers must be meticulous. Compliance personnel must be thorough. Officers responsible for examination, assessment and enforcement must remain professionally alert. Supervisory officers must ensure that established procedures are followed and that avoidable administrative lapses do not become opportunities for revenue loss.
This is particularly important in a Customs environment increasingly driven by technology, data-based risk management and modern compliance procedures.
The ₦683.661 million recovered through compliance checks and scrutiny of import declarations reinforces the argument that effective enforcement must begin with the quality of administrative processes.
It also suggests that the ability to identify questionable declarations and correct under-valuations can be as important to revenue protection as the interception of prohibited goods.
The Afeni administration therefore has an opportunity to deepen the relationship between operational intelligence and revenue administration, ensuring that every component of the Unit’s activities contributes to improved institutional performance.
The Trade Facilitation Connection
There is another important dimension to Afeni’s operational outlook. His experience at Idiroko demonstrated that border commands can contribute to economic development by facilitating legitimate exports and maintaining constructive relationships with traders and border communities.
At FOU Zone A, that experience should prove valuable in ensuring that enforcement does not become synonymous with unnecessary delays or indiscriminate restrictions on legitimate commercial movement.
For a country seeking to expand its non-oil exports, improve domestic industrial competitiveness and strengthen its position in regional and international trade, Customs enforcement must protect the economy without unnecessarily obstructing its productive activities.
The distinction between legitimate trade and smuggling must therefore remain clear.
The ability to identify suspicious consignments, act on credible intelligence, verify declarations and enforce the law without disrupting compliant businesses is a measure of professional Customs competence.
At the November 3 briefing, Afeni assured importers, licensed Customs agents and the trading public that the Unit would continue to distinguish between legitimate trade and fraudulent practices.
His position was that compliant businesses would receive the necessary support, while duty evasion, falsification of declarations and other economic crimes would attract firm enforcement.
This is an important distinction for an enforcement formation whose activities can have significant implications for the movement of goods, commercial confidence and the cost of doing business.
The objective should be to create an operating environment in which legitimate businesses are protected from unfair competition by smugglers, while government receives the revenue legally due to it.
This is where Afeni’s grasp of the wider Customs mandate becomes particularly relevant. His operational background provides an understanding of how revenue, enforcement, administration and trade facilitation intersect rather than operate as separate institutional responsibilities.
From Early Results to Sustainable Revenue Efficiency
Ultimately, the success of Afeni’s administration will not be determined by the volume of warnings issued to officers or even the monetary value of seizures recorded in the newspapers.
Neither should its assessment rest exclusively on the ₦683.661 million recovered during the first four weeks.
The more enduring test will be whether the Unit can develop a stronger culture of compliance, reduce revenue leakages, improve the quality of enforcement intelligence, strengthen institutional coordination and protect legitimate trade.
The four-week scorecard nevertheless offers a useful early indication of the administration’s priorities.
The 195 interceptions with a combined DPV of ₦6.194 billion demonstrate an active enforcement posture, while the ₦683.661 million revenue recovery provides evidence of a parallel effort to strengthen Customs compliance and protect government earnings.
The two dimensions are complementary, but their long-term value will depend on the sustainability of the processes that produced them.
Afeni’s insistence that Customs revenue must be jealously guarded is therefore a timely reminder that revenue protection begins with professional responsibility at every point of the Customs administration chain.
There is also a larger institutional expectation. The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has consistently placed emphasis on modernisation, improved revenue performance, professional standards and the protection of national economic interests.
For Afeni, translating these priorities into practical operational outcomes at FOU Zone A will require consistency, discipline, measurable performance and the ability to carry his officers along.
His previous record at Ogun I suggests an officer familiar with the demands of a complex Customs assignment and capable of balancing competing operational responsibilities.
But FOU Zone A presents a different scale of responsibility. It requires a leadership disposition that can look beyond seizures, recognise the revenue implications of administrative decisions and ensure that every component of the Unit’s mandate contributes to the larger objectives of the Service.
The emerging picture is that of a Deputy Comptroller determined to make operational efficiency, professional accountability and revenue consciousness inseparable.
His first four weeks have produced impressive enforcement figures and a substantial revenue recovery. But the more consequential question is whether these early results can be converted into a sustainable institutional culture in which compliance becomes stronger, revenue leakages are reduced and enforcement intelligence consistently delivers economic value.
His assignment is not simply about keeping smugglers on the run. It is about ensuring that Customs does not lose what it is legally entitled to collect, that legitimate businesses are not unnecessarily disadvantaged, and that the Service’s enforcement authority translates into measurable economic value.
That is the larger test of Afeni’s leadership at FOU Zone A: moving beyond the seizure room to the revenue collection machinery, and ensuring that every successful enforcement operation ultimately contributes to a stronger, more accountable and economically productive Customs administration.
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