By Hyacinth Nwafor
Immediate past Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspections, Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu, has thrown his weight behind the appointment of Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni as Customs Area Controller, Ogun I Command, Idiroko, describing the decision as both strategic and timely.
Shuaibu reserved special praise for the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, whom he commended for what he called an uncanny ability to deploy “the best brains” to sensitive commands when it matters most.
In Afeni, he said, the Service has found “a round peg in a round hole,” insisting that the new helmsman possesses the operational depth and institutional memory required to manage the complexities of the Idiroko border corridor.
Recalling their years of close collaboration, Shuaibu noted that Afeni was a key figure during his tenure as Coordinator of the Comptroller-General’s Strike Force, as well as at the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone B, Kaduna, where anti-smuggling operations were prosecuted with intensity.
According to him, Afeni understands the anti-smuggling playbook “inside-out,” with a firm grasp of enforcement protocols and field intelligence gathering, attributes he said would prove decisive in Ogun I Command.
The retired anti-smuggling chief reiterated a doctrine he championed while in office: that no enforcement operation should come at the cost of human life. For him, the ultimate measure of operational success is zero casualty, for officers and civilians alike.
Drawing from his own experience as a former Area Controller at Idiroko, Shuaibu argued that restraint, strategy and intelligence must override brute force. Rather than violent confrontations, he advocated discreet monitoring and strategic interception of smuggled goods after delivery to warehouses.
However, he drew a firm line on narcotics and arms trafficking, stressing that both remain non-negotiable threats demanding absolute zero tolerance and coordinated enforcement efforts.
He described Afeni’s posting to Idiroko as a bold recalibration that could eventually position him for greater responsibilities within the Lagos operational hub, citing his prior exposure to terminal operations during their time on the CG’s Strike Force in Lagos.
Reflecting on his final assignment as ACG, Enforcement, Shuaibu disclosed that he chaired a special committee that reviewed cases of dismissed and suspended officers, leading to the recall or conversion to retirement of 53 personnel upon approval by the Comptroller-General. Now retired, he said he feels fulfilled and grateful, thanking Adeniyi for steering the Nigeria Customs Service on what he termed a path of steady growth and institutional reform.