The Nigeria Customs Service has intensified calls for stronger collaboration among security and intelligence agencies as Nigeria steps up efforts to combat terrorism financing, money laundering, wildlife trafficking and other transnational organised crimes threatening national and regional security.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made the call during a study tour by participants of the Operational Level Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Regional Security Course 2 from the National Defence College at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Adeniyi stressed that modern criminal networks have become increasingly sophisticated, exploiting global trade routes, financial systems and porous borders to fund terrorism, smuggle illicit goods and undermine national economies.
He said defeating such threats requires seamless intelligence sharing, stronger inter-agency cooperation and a unified national security strategy.
“For us to get ahead of these criminals, we must continue to work together and subject our individual mandates to broader national security objectives,” the Customs boss said.
Adeniyi described Nigeria’s recent removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list as a major breakthrough that has boosted investor confidence and improved the country’s international financial reputation.
He revealed that before Nigeria exited the grey list, Nigerians faced several financial restrictions abroad, including limitations on the use of locally issued bank cards for international transactions.
According to him, the role of Customs has expanded far beyond revenue collection and border policing, as financial crimes linked to international trade continue to evolve.
He identified trade-based fraud such as undervaluation and overvaluation of goods, illegal wildlife trafficking, illicit export of African resources and cross-border smuggling as emerging threats with deep economic and security implications.
The Customs chief also disclosed ongoing collaboration between the Service, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit and airline operators to deploy automated currency declaration systems aimed at strengthening financial surveillance at airports and border points.
Earlier, 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, warned that terrorism financing remains the engine room of global terrorism.
He emphasised that no single institution can effectively tackle the challenge alone, calling for closer cooperation among the Department of State Services, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Armed Forces, Customs and other security agencies.
“The lifeline of terrorism is financing, and tackling it cannot be done by one institution alone,” he said.
In a separate presentation, Assistant Comptroller of Customs and head of the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing Unit, Mas’ud Salihu, highlighted how international criminal syndicates exploit global supply chains and digital connectivity to move illicit funds, arms and prohibited substances across borders.
He reaffirmed the critical role of Customs in enforcing currency declaration policies, intercepting illegal shipments and disrupting criminal financial networks, while calling for stronger local and international partnerships to counter the growing threat of transnational crime.
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2026-05-24
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