By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reiterated its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing, and coordinated enforcement against terrorism financing, money laundering, wildlife trafficking, and other transnational organised crimes.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, AdewaleThe Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reiterated its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing, and coordinated enforcement against terrorism financing, money laundering, wildlife trafficking, and other transnational organised crimes.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, stated this during a study tour by participants of the National Defence College Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Regional Security Course 2 (CFTRSC-OPL2) held at the Customs Headquarters, Abuja.
Deeper Synergy
Adeniyi said emerging security threats require deeper synergy among security and regulatory agencies, noting that no single institution can effectively combat terrorism financing and related financial crimes alone.
He added that Customs’ mandate has evolved beyond revenue generation and border control to include active participation in national security and financial crime prevention.
According to the Customs boss, offences such as undervaluation, overvaluation, wildlife trafficking, illicit movement of natural resources, and other trade-based infractions have become key enablers of transnational criminal networks.
FATF Grey List Exit Boosts Investor Confidence
Adeniyi noted that Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list remains a significant milestone that restored investor confidence and strengthened the country’s global financial reputation.
He explained that before the exit, restrictions on Nigerian-issued bank cards affected international transactions and created reputational challenges for the financial system.
Customs, FAAN, NFIU Push Digital Currency Declaration System
He disclosed ongoing collaboration between the NCS, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and airline operators to deploy automated currency declaration systems aimed at curbing illicit financial flows.
Adeniyi said the initiative will improve monitoring of cross-border cash movements and strengthen enforcement against financial crimes.
Terror Financing Requires Multi-Agency Response — National Defence College
Earlier, the National Defence College, through Dr. Adam Abdullahi, said terrorism financing remains the backbone of global terrorism and requires coordinated action among security institutions.
He called for stronger cooperation among the Department of State Services (DSS), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Armed Forces, and the Nigeria Customs Service to ensure effective national response.
In a technical presentation, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Mas’ud Salihu, who heads the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing Unit of the NCS, explained that criminal networks exploit global supply chains to move illicit funds and goods across borders.
He stressed that Customs plays a key role in enforcing currency declaration rules and intercepting prohibited items such as arms and drugs, while urging stronger local and international cooperation to disrupt transnational financial crimes.
