Comptroller Murtala Mu’azu has formally resumed duty as the 33rd Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Area Command. He took over on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, at a ceremony held in the Command’s auditorium and attended by security and regulatory agencies, terminal operators, shipping and business stakeholders, customs brokers and other partners of the Command.

In his first address, Mu’azu called the appointment “a great honour and privilege” and thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for the confidence placed in him. He said he accepted the role with a deep sense of duty and a firm commitment to the mandate of the Nigeria Customs Service and the economic interest of the country.

He said his administration would follow the Comptroller-General’s three strategic pillars — consolidation, collaboration and innovation — with particular attention to revenue integrity, efficient trade facilitation, professionalism and stakeholder engagement.

On revenue, he was blunt: every amount due to government must be properly assessed and collected, and every decision taken by officers must be able to stand up to scrutiny over time.

He also promised to deepen collaboration with importers, exporters, licensed customs agents, shipping companies, terminal operators, port authorities and partner government agencies, saying the Service is committed to making Apapa port more efficient and more responsive to legitimate trade.

On cargo processing, Mu’azu said avoidable delays will no longer be tolerated. Where all requirements have been met, he said, legitimate cargo must be allowed to move without obstruction, and officers are expected to show discipline, professionalism and courtesy in their dealings with the trading public.

He acknowledged the records set by his predecessor, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba (Rtd), especially in revenue generation. Under Oshoba, the Command collected a historic ₦323 billion in July 2026, and a single-day collection of ₦28.102 billion on 18 August 2026. Mu’azu admitted matching that would not be easy, calling it “a Herculean task” for himself and his team.

He also praised Oshoba’s work in enforcement, trade facilitation and the Service’s modernisation initiatives, including B’Odogwu, Advance Ruling, the Authorised Economic Operator Programme, the One-Stop Shop and Non-Intrusive Inspection technology.

In his farewell message, Oshoba thanked the officers, men and stakeholders of the Command for their support. “The achievements recorded during my tenure do not belong to one individual. They belong to all of us,” he said. He urged the officers to keep up the Command’s standards — “Discipline must remain our foundation, professionalism our standard and excellence our aspiration” — and to give his successor the same support.

Mu’azu closed by urging officers and stakeholders to work together. “The success we seek cannot be achieved by the CAC alone,” he said, adding that it requires collective effort, operational integrity and a willingness to uphold the Service’s standards. He promised stakeholders an open and constructive relationship built on fairness, mutual respect and the national interest, and expressed confidence that Apapa Area Command would remain a model of efficient revenue administration, legitimate trade facilitation and professional conduct.