Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Kwara State and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ilorin Zonal Command have announced plans to work together in their fight against smuggling and corruption. The Area Controller of NCS in Kwara State, Kehinde Ilesanmi, revealed this during a courtesy visit to the Ilorin Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Michael Nzekwe, at the commission’s office in Ilorin.
Ilesanmi stated that upon his resumption in January, the Kwara border was locked down due to its porous environment. However, he challenged himself by going after smugglers to bring them to justice, and he disclosed that over N3.5bn revenue had been collected for the government by his men while also making 23 seizures. The NCS controller expressed his desire to strengthen the existing relationship between his agency and the EFCC, ensuring that both agencies deliver on their mandates.
The visit was to explore a better way of enhancing the inter-agency relationship to fight against graft, smuggling, and other economic and financial crimes. Ilesanmi highlighted some of the functions of the service, including revenue collection, facilitation of trade, and suppression of smuggling. The commissioner of NCS assured the EFCC of his agency’s commitment to the fight against smuggling and corruption.
The EFCC zonal commander, Michael Nzekwe, expressed his appreciation to the NCS controller and his team for their visit, stressing that a stronger inter-agency collaboration and support between both agencies would be entrenched. He also commended the Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC for its bold step in checking the activities of illegal miners in the state and combating the rising tide of cybercrime among youths.
The partnership between both agencies will aid in the fight against economic and financial crimes and also help to secure the country’s borders. By combining their resources, they can better tackle corruption and smuggling, which are a hindrance to the country’s economic growth
The collaboration between NCS and EFCC will strengthen the inter-agency relationship, allowing both agencies to achieve their mandates of suppressing smuggling and tackling corruption. The joint efforts of both agencies will go a long way in securing Nigeria’s borders and making the country a safer place
