Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Olukayode Afeni has taken over as Acting Comptroller of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, following the retirement of Comptroller Gambo Aliyu. He is the unit’s 30th head.

The handover took place on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at the unit’s conference hall in Ikeja, with senior Customs officers, stakeholders and well-wishers in attendance.

Afeni promised what he called “purposeful, professional and accountable leadership.” He thanked the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and the Service’s management for the confidence placed in him, and said he would build on what his predecessors achieved.

He said his priorities are intelligence-led enforcement, blocking revenue leakages and protecting Nigeria’s economic and security interests. Enforcement, he added, will stay “firm, lawful and respectful of human dignity,” while legitimate businesses get support through engagement with traders, manufacturers, importers, exporters and customs brokers.

He also called for closer cooperation among security agencies against trans-border crimes such as the movement of illicit drugs, arms, currencies and counterfeit goods. Officers’ welfare, training, discipline and sports, he said, will also get attention.

What He Is Leaving Behind at Ogun I

Afeni moves to FOU ‘A’ from Ogun I Area Command, where he took charge on December 4, 2025. The Command was given a revenue target of N545.35 million but generated N896.54 million between January and August 2026 — an excess of N350.71 million. He credited the performance to the dedication and transparency of officers and men of the Command.

The Command also recorded a sharp rise in exports, processing 31,177 metric tonnes with a Free on Board value of N4.64 billion. It recorded no export trade in the same period in 2025.

On anti-smuggling, the Command made 327 seizures between December 4, 2025 and September 29, 2026, with a combined Duty Paid Value of N14.75 billion. The items included 32,449 parcels of cannabis, Colorado and Ghana Loud; 50 sacks of raw Cannabis sativa; 19,525 litres of petrol; 8,787 cartons of spaghetti; and 11,578 bags of foreign parboiled rice, about 12 truckloads.

Others were 6,453 kegs of vegetable oil, six live pangolins, 2,128 live cartridges, 1,315 Riodin explosives, two revolver pistols, 11 Dane guns and two locally made pistols. The Command also seized camouflage clothing, and seven foreign-used vehicles, including a 2026 Range Rover P530 Autobiography.

Working With Other Agencies and Border Communities

The Command worked closely with the DSS, Nigerian Army, Police, Immigration, NDLEA and environmental agencies. It also kept up engagement with traditional rulers, youth leaders and border community associations. Intercepted drugs were handed over to the NDLEA Idiroko Special Command, while arms and ammunition went to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.

Beyond enforcement, the Command sponsored the AFENI Cup inter-school football tournament at Iko Gateway Grammar School in July 2026, an effort aimed at promoting discipline and discouraging young people from smuggling. It also planted hundreds of trees along border corridors under a “Green Border & Environmental Sustainability” initiative.

Two projects were completed: the rehabilitation of Igiri High School, Ijofin, in Ipokia Local Government Area, and a new jetty at Ijofin to improve riverine transport and support local trade.

The Task Ahead

The outgoing controller expressed confidence in Afeni’s ability to lead the unit and asked officers and stakeholders to give him the same support he received. He said his tenure involved difficult decisions that may have unsettled some interests, but insisted they were made in pursuit of the targets set by the Comptroller-General.

“Whether I have finished the race successfully or not is not for me to say — I will leave it to posterity and you all to be the judge,” he said.

FOU Zone ‘A’ remains one of the Customs Service’s key enforcement arms, handling intercepted smuggled goods, revenue protection and border security. Afeni said the job will require the cooperation of officers, sister agencies, traders, manufacturers and brokers, and urged stakeholders to work with the unit without unnecessarily hindering legitimate trade.