The Nigeria Customs Service has reaffirmed the need for stronger inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing, and coordinated operations to combat terrorism financing, money laundering, wildlife trafficking, and other forms of transnational organised crimes across the country.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, stated this on Thursday during a study tour by participants of the Operational Level Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Regional Security Course 2 (CFTRSC-OPL2) from the National Defence College at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Adeniyi commended the growing capacity development initiatives within the Service and lauded the participation of officers drawn from various Customs formations nationwide.
He described Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list as a major achievement that has helped restore investor confidence and improve the country’s global financial reputation.
According to him, prior to Nigeria’s exit from the grey list, Nigerian-issued bank cards faced restrictions abroad, negatively affecting international transactions and the nation’s image.
The Customs boss noted that the responsibilities of the Service now extend beyond revenue generation and border enforcement, stressing that offences such as undervaluation, overvaluation, wildlife trafficking, illicit export of African resources, and other trade-related violations have become significant financial crimes with national security implications.
He further disclosed that the Service is collaborating with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, and airline operators on the deployment of automated currency declaration systems aimed at improving monitoring and compliance.
“For us to get ahead of these criminals, we must continue to work together and subject our individual mandates to broader national security objectives,” Adeniyi said.
Earlier, the Team Lead and Course Director Coordinator of the Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency/Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit at the National Defence College, Adam Abdullahi, said terrorism financing remains the lifeline of terrorism globally.
He emphasised the need for closer collaboration among the Department of State Services, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Armed Forces, Customs, and other security agencies to ensure effective coordination in tackling emerging threats.
“The lifeline of terrorism is financing, and tackling it cannot be done by one institution alone,” he said.
Also speaking, the officer in charge of the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing Unit of the NCS, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Mas’ud Salihu, highlighted how criminal networks exploit global connectivity and supply chains to move illicit funds and prohibited goods across borders.
Salihu stressed the critical role of Customs in enforcing currency declaration policies, intercepting prohibited items such as arms and drugs, and strengthening both local and international cooperation to counter organised criminal activities.
