By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts to strengthen inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing, and coordinated enforcement operations aimed at combating terrorism financing, money laundering, wildlife trafficking, and other forms of transnational organised crimes across the country.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, stated this on Wednesday, 21 May 2026, while hosting participants of the Operational Level Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Regional Security Course 2 (CFTRSC-OPL2) from the National Defence College during a study tour at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Adeniyi commended the growing investment in capacity development within the Service, noting that officers drawn from various formations nationwide were increasingly being equipped with the skills required to tackle emerging financial and cross-border crimes.
He described Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list as a landmark achievement that has helped restore investor confidence and improve the nation’s reputation within the global financial system.
According to the Customs boss, Nigeria’s previous placement on the grey list had negatively impacted the country’s international financial image, with Nigerian-issued bank cards facing restrictions abroad and creating difficulties for legitimate international transactions.
He noted that the responsibilities of Customs have expanded far beyond revenue generation and conventional border enforcement, stressing that crimes such as trade undervaluation, overvaluation, wildlife trafficking, and the illicit exportation of African resources have become critical components of financial and organised criminal activities.
Adeniyi also disclosed that the Service is currently working closely with 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 and improving compliance at the nation’s borders.
“For us to get ahead of these criminals, we must continue to work together and subject our individual mandates to broader national security objectives,” he 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, Dr. Adam Abdullahi, emphasised that terrorism financing remains the backbone of terrorist activities globally and requires a unified institutional response.
He stressed the importance of stronger coordination among the Department of State Services, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Armed Forces, Customs, and other relevant agencies in addressing evolving security threats.
“The lifeline of terrorism is financing, and tackling it cannot be done by one institution alone,” he stated.
In a presentation delivered during the visit, the officer in charge of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Unit of the NCS, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Mas’ud Salihu, highlighted how criminal syndicates exploit global supply chains and international connectivity to move illicit funds and prohibited goods across borders.
Salihu underscored the strategic role of Customs in enforcing currency declaration regulations, intercepting prohibited items such as arms and narcotics, and strengthening border controls through enhanced collaboration at both local and international levels.
The engagement formed part of ongoing national efforts to deepen institutional cooperation and reinforce Nigeria’s counter-terrorism financing architecture amid growing global security concerns.
