Customs Disbands Border Patrol Team Amid Smuggling, Brutality Allegations

• The Nigeria Customs Service dissolved its Joint Border Patrol Team to enhance border management and implement its 2025 enforcement strategy
• The NCS plans to reduce customs checkpoints nationwide, focusing on intelligence-driven operations to combat smuggling and facilitate legitimate trade

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has dissolved its Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) following consultations with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

NCS Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, announced the decision on Tuesday, citing efforts to enhance border management and implement the agency’s 2025 enforcement strategy.

The move comes weeks after the House of Representatives mandated an investigation into Customs operations at the nation’s borders.

Lawmakers raised concerns about alleged complicity in smuggling and accusations of brutality by personnel.

Rep. Sesi Whingan, in a motion of urgent public importance, alleged that some Customs officers were aiding smuggling rather than curbing it.

The House directed its Committees on Customs and Excise and Defence to ensure compliance with legal and human rights standards in Customs and military operations.

Maiwada explained that the JBPT, a collaborative effort between Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Niger Republic, was tasked with tackling smuggling, irregular migration, and other cross-border crimes.

However, its dissolution marks a shift toward modernising Customs operations while maintaining border security and facilitating trade.

NCS Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi has approved reducing customs checkpoints nationwide to streamline processes. Moving forward, operations will rely heavily on intelligence and strategic risk management.

“This strategy is designed to remove trade bottlenecks, strengthen border security, combat smuggling, and facilitate legitimate trade,” Maiwada said.

The NCS affirmed that these changes are part of broader efforts to enhance efficiency and strengthen national security without compromising the integrity of border operations.