Against the backdrop of recent seizure of arms and ammunition including five pieces of automatic pistols, 445 rounds of live ammunition, and several empty pistol magazines as well as Cocaine and Colorado with an estimated street value of N4.3billion at the Tin Can Island Port Command, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR has declared that Nigeria’s sea and airports are safe and secure.

It would be recalled that similar seizures were made at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, where some substances suspected to be narcotics and arms were intercepted by officers and men of the service.

Speaking during the official handover of the seized 56.39kg of Cocaine valued at N2,368,380,000 and 955kg of Colorado Indica valued at N1,911,400,000, bringing to a total street value of N4.279 billion to the Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, Buba Marwa, the CG Customs, noted that the successful interception of the hard drugs as well as the five pistols, 445 rounds of live ammunition, and several empty pistol magazines was an indication that the country’s major entry points, especially the sea and airports are safe and secure.

While commending the management, officers and men of the Tin Can Island Command, the CGC emphasised the importance of inter-agency synergy in the fight against importation of illicit substances arms and ammunition to enhance national security.

“The seizure is a testament that, just like the airports, the sea ports are also safe and secure. Just as criminals find strength in collaboration, government agencies must equally appreciate the advantages of working collectively to fulfill their statutory responsibilities. It is within this context that the ongoing collaborative efforts between Customs and NDLEA have consistently yielded positive results.

“This collaborative synergy exemplifies the effectiveness of pooling resources and intelligence, reinforcing the commitment of both agencies to safeguarding the nation’s borders and protecting its citizens from the threats posed by illegal substances”, he stressed.

He reiterated the resolve of the service to prioritise strategic partnerships to enhance its capability to fulfill its core mandates.

He said: “In recognition of the threats and the collaborative nature of criminal activities, the Nigeria Customs Service has steadfastly prioritised strategic partnerships with stakeholders over the past seven months.

“This deliberate focus aims to harness the specialised expertise of our partners in a manner that enhances our capability to fulfill our core mandates.”

A highpoint of the meeting was the official hand over of the seized narcotics to the Chairman of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa, who was represented by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

Speaking shortly after receiving the seized narcotics, the NDLEA- boss commended the CGC for the synergy between the two agencies, saying the collaboration is a strong warning to drug cartels as they will continue to lose their investments in the criminal trade.

“The handover of these seized illicit drugs in the custody of the Nigeria Customs Service is a development that speaks volumes about the hard work and diligence of security agencies tasked with securing the territory of our country”, Marwa said.