The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Apapa Port Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu fsi, has restated the Command’s determination to remain ahead of smugglers by leveraging intelligence and uncompromising enforcement to block prohibited imports.
Olomu gave the assurance on Monday, August 18, 2025, when he received Dr. Martin Iluyomade fsi, Director of Inspection and Enforcement at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), who also chairs the Federal Task Force on Fake, Substandard Drugs and Unwholesome Food.
According to the CAC, attempts by smugglers to deploy fake registration numbers and false declarations had consistently failed, owing to the Command’s proactive strategies. He pledged full implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Comptroller-General of Customs and the NAFDAC Director-General, aimed at preventing the importation of items under the agency’s regulation.
While urging NAFDAC to speed up evacuation of containers already handed over, Olomu stressed that the Command would continue not only to seize illicit consignments but also to arrest suspects.
“Arresting the perpetrators is critical to dismantling the smuggling chain and deterring others from such illegal trade,” he said.
He added that officers under his watch have embraced the Comptroller-General’s zero-tolerance stance on smuggling, with a focus on protecting Nigerians from harmful consumables, counterfeit drugs, and arms trafficking. He cited the recent seizure of 32 containers personally supervised by the CGC and handed over to NAFDAC as proof of the synergy between both agencies.
In his remarks, Dr. Iluyomade commended Olomu for being uncompromising and delivering what he described as “life-saving seizures.”
“You can kill one or two people with guns, but fake drugs and unwholesome food can wipe out a nation. Those importing them are waging war against our citizens,” he warned.
He praised Olomu as “the best Controller Apapa Command has ever had,” noting that the Command’s recognition as best-performing unit under Customs was well-deserved. Iluyomade, who began his career as a young officer at NAFDAC, also acknowledged that Customs’ anti-smuggling operations have improved significantly in recent years.
The NAFDAC chief, however, appealed for greater support to safeguard seized containers from pilferage before evacuation.
Leave a Reply