INTERVIEW
The country’s borders have been described as porous, and allowing all sorts of cross-border or trans-border criminal activities such as human trafficking, smuggling, drug trafficking, armed robbery, money laundering and illicit arms trafficking resulting in proliferation of small and light weapons . Seme border has been described as the busiest border in West Africa because of its strategic location between two major commercial cities – Lagos and Cotonou , In this interview, the Customs Area Controller, Seme Border Command of Nigeria Customs Service; Comptroller Victor Dimka spoke on these issues and others.
Sir, in the first place what does cross border criminal activities entail?
Trans-border crime or cross border crime as you may like to call it, represent a number of illegal and notorious activities carried out by individuals and groups across national and international borders, either for financial/ economic benefits or socio-political cum religious considerations. The perpetrators of the nefarious acts which include human trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking, arms smuggling or trafficking of weapons, cross-border terrorism, illegal oil bunkering, illicit trafficking in diamonds, corruption, business fraud, to mention but these notable few, go beyond territorial borders. The nature of cross- border crimes has changed rapidly over recent years through the use of technology, networks, the loosening of travel restrictions and through criminal diversification which has drastically increased the threat to international peace and security. This is not unconnected with the fact that West Africa is also seeing an increase in terrorism especially in the Sahel region. Cases include deadly terrorist attacks in Mali and here in Nigeria, the Boko Haram insurgency through which a lot of deaths have been recorded.
Sir, without mincing words, the Nigerian borders have been described as porous and not sufficiently policed. Is the Nigeria Customs Service overwhelmed in combating this menace?
On March 11, this year, trans-border armed robbers were killed at Seme by a combined team of security agents involving the Customs, Police, Immigration, the Joint Task Force and Policemen from the Republic of Benin. The notorious gang surrendered to the superior gun power of the security agencies and fled. They were pursued and at the end of the day, eleven of them were killed, while six others escaped. We are still on the trail of those at large. Some of the items recovered from them after the shootout include one bullet proof speed boat having the inscription “Castina Marine’’, some pieces of dynamite, six AK-47 rifles, two general purpose machine guns and 33,678 life ammunitions. Other recovered items were 22 empty magazines, eight life jackets, 350 litres jerry can of fuel, two 100 litres jerry cans of fuel, one military magazine, jackets and assorted pieces of charms. In all the commands that have anti-smuggling as their main duties, the Comptroller-General, Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), has provided enough logistics, in terms of vehicles, Hilux jeeps, arms and ammunition to combat these smugglers and armed bandits.
Early this year, the Tin-Can Island Command intercepted a 40-ft. container with 980 rounds of 9mm live ammunition and a pistol imported into the country from the U.S. It also contained camouflage military face cap, camouflage belt, a pair of hand gloves and a pair of shoes concealed along with other personal effects in two vehicles. The items were concealed because nobody can just import these things without full authorization to do so. No unauthorized passenger or trader should trade in arms and ammunition all over the world. It is not allowed. You have to go through the due process; authorization with permit, before you move even one piece across the border of another country. You can only imagine the danger such importation could have on members of the public, if it had escaped customs’ attention.
The truth is that Nigeria is a diverse and a vast country covering 923,768 square kilometres with more than 36,450 kilometres of land and maritime borders, and shares land borders with four countries namely, Benin Republic in the West, Chad and Niger in the North, and Cameroon in the East. It shares international waters Lake Chad in the North with Niger, Chad and Cameroon, and a maritime border coastline in the Gulf of Guinea or Atlantic Ocean. Along the Western border, Nigeria has 770 kilometres of shared land border with the Republic of Benin, in the North, around 1,500 kilometres with Niger and 90 kilometres with Chad and in the West, 1,700 kilometres with Cameroon. Along the Southern coastline, it also shares 853 kilometres of maritime border with the Atlantic Ocean known as the Gulf of Guinea. All totalling an outstretch of about 4,910 km of borders.
These smugglers are deadly and are not to be handled with kid gloves, they are known to operate on foot or in vehicles using secret and illegal routes across borders to bring in contraband goods or to evade special regulations, levies and taxes. The NCS has always and will continue to collaborate with other security agencies locally and internationally to arrest this menace. We also engage the general public and the media for useful information on any suspicious activity. Some of our seizures are always based on tip-off by good Samaritans. So, all hands must be on deck to see that we suppress smuggling of any kind. It is a tough job, but we are committed and up to the task.
What do you consider the major impediment to the Nigeria Customs Service delivering on its mandate?
Organized crime, world over is now being carried out using major technological tools such as information networks, the financial system and other sophisticated means. In the context of our own situation, they also take advantage of differences in legislations, legal systems and traditions which often seriously hamper state efforts to respond adequately to the threat of organized or trans-border crimes. Most recently, trans-border crimes have grown in scope and are characterized by increasingly global reach, involved in multiple forms of criminal activity, expanding criminal markets to include large-scale financial fraud and cybercrime for selfish political and economic ends. And the syndicates are willing to protect their activities through violent and ruthless means, linked to international terrorist groups and devising novel and notorious organizational strategies to deter capture. So, to “fish out” the pioneers of these syndicates and to judiciously bring them to justice, intelligence must counter intelligence. And intelligence is not cheap. Although at the moment the country is faced with serious economic hard times, the NCS is using all available resources to track down the leaders of these syndicates. In going about this, however, we are mindful not to cut off a head to cause an escalation of numerous splinter groups. Hence, our approach is tactically holistic so as to cave in on any potential offshoot and nip it in the bud once and for all. The present government has reiterated its stand unambiguously on its anti-graft war and our officers are “change agents” likewise. I can assure you that the days of these syndicates are numbered, no matter how highly placed their members are in the society.
Talking of economic hard times, has this spate of trans-border crime not taken its toll on the revenue of the NCS, while a few criminals live fat by the day on our collective wealth?
Well, I agree with you to the extent that for more revenue to be generated, smuggling must be fought to a standstill. That is a duty I am determined to accomplish, since I assumed office here at Seme border; I continue to urge all my officers to brace up to the challenge of performing their duty despite the constraints of the terrain of the creeks that may not be accessible for vehicular surveillance. My officers know that Seme Command must perform above average in terms of revenue collection, anti-smuggling drive, legitimate trade facilitation and the security of the nation through the effective manning of the international border. They are beginning to imbibe the culture of transparency and professionalism while discharging their responsibilities. I on my part have continued to reiterate the fact that any negative conduct observed among my officers along the international border will not be tolerated. I also remembered I told a group of licensed customs agents upon my resumption of office that we will not bring down any importer as long as he has it at the back of his mind that the nation’s revenue must be collected. We won’t need anything from any importer or agent, but people must begin to comply with the rules governing importation and exportation. There is the need to shape up to collect maximum revenue and suppress smuggling to the barest minimum, and that we have been doing. In the first two working days in February which was about two weeks of my resumption here at Seme border, my command generated N160 million and we have not looked back ever since then. Even then, the exchange rate was and is still more of a factor rather than smuggling. Bad eggs combing through illegal routes have come to the realization that business for them is not as usual as before. If you are coming from Badagry to Seme, you will notice significant reduction in the number of check points on the route. We have reduced the check points and are now more committed to intelligent surveillance within our environment. This has yielded improved results in the arrest of trans-border criminal activities; as we have constantly been making seizures, arresting and prosecuting suspected criminals. Everything must be working ‘pari-passu’ as we are conscious of generating revenue, we are also mindful of our national security, we know we can’t allow one bullet to pass into the country unlawfully; it can harm the country gravely. This is why I will keep emphasizing that all hands must be on deck to surmount the challenges of manning a peculiar international border like Seme border which is characterized by heavy vehicular and human traffic.
In conclusion, what measures would you suggest in terms of legislation or executive order to further curb or put an end to trans-border crimes in Nigeria vis-à-vis her neighbouring countries?
To put an end to trans-border crime or smuggling as it is, is an “Utopian” dream. Even in the most advanced climes with the best of science and technology, we hear news of trans-border crime every now and then by small and notorious syndicates, particularly in narcotics. Customs officers can only reduce smuggling and in doing so, to the barest minimum. In line with the recent moves of President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria needs to lead the vanguard in the alignment of national border management strategies into the West African sub-region to allow for an integrated regional approach to border insecurity. Prioritise capacity building of all the agencies involved in border management (particularly Customs, Police and Immigration) as a cost effective way of maintaining the security of the state. We also need to get border communities more involved in managing the security of borders. Lastly, there is actually no one-stop solution to this problem. However, in moving forward, it is very important for us to reconstitute the Nigerian state in such a way as to be proactive in dealing with the rampant cross-border criminal activities that undermine its national security. Also government must further commit special funds to the NCS for intelligence surveillance because result-oriented intelligence gathering is the way to go and it requires a lot of funding.
Thank you for sparing time out of your busy schedule to talk to us.
It’s my pleasure; it is about service to the people and the government of our country. The media has a lot of role to play in partnering with government and Customs in the regional and national effort to fight insecurity and effectively police the borders in line with President Buhari’s change mantra.
*Adapted from IWA
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