The Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has sought the collaboration of the Western Naval Command to stop smuggling of arms through waterways.
The new Customs Area Controller, Western Marine Command, Comptroller Patrick Ntadi, made the disclosure when his team visited the Headquarters of the Western Naval Command, Apapa in Lagos on Tuesday.
Ntadi said due to increased security on the land borders, that smugglers had diverted their operations through waterways whereby they smuggle arms and ammunition around the creek areas.
“It is important for Customs to seek collaboration with Navy being our superior and also to ask Navy to train our officers on how to navigate and protect our waterways from smuggling of unwanted substances.
“There is no way we can do the job without interface, that is why we seek your assistance in training our officers to make our job much easier.
“Incidentally our jobs happen to be in the waters, when I was appointed as the Controller Western Marine Command, I said that the first thing I have to do is to see how Customs and Navy will synergies to gain from your experience.
“Sir, I have come to know you and also to tell you that, please I will always call your lines for assistance, especially training of our officers.
“Our officers need to understand the weather, know how to navigate and know when to set their bowls on sail,” he said.
In his response, the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Michael Oamen, emphasised the need for collaboration of all key stakeholders in the maritime sector in ensuring safer waterways.
Oamen said that there was no doubt that maritime industry contributed largely to the development of the country’s economy.
“When you talk about the economy survival of the country, you are talking about its ability to generate wealth from the exploitation of its God’s given resources.
“Which other agencies are more critical than the Navy and the Customs, our maritime domain is endowed with so many, because this is the area where we derived 80 per cent of our foreign exchange.
“So the Navy is there to ensure that nobody exploit for the benefit of everybody.
“We want to be sure that nobody engage in smuggling and every revenue that should come from it is accountable and who does it better than the Customs,”Oamen said.
He appreciated Customs for the visit and also recognised to collaborate with the Navy adding that they had been working with Customs and pledge to take the collaboration to the next level.
Oamen congratulated Ntadi on his appointment and promised to collaborate with Customs on training and explained the hydrograph map to enable them navigate smoothly without any challenges.
He said that it had always been the argument by the Nigerian Navy not to leave port operations because the volume of small arms moving through the waters could not be compared to the land.
Oamen called for collaboration among sister agencies to confront the havoc caused by smuggling of unwanted substances which had undermined our national security.
He advised Customs to call for their assistance even when on patrol operations adding that he strongly believed that some people had been using the ports, the maritime domain to smuggle illegal substances.
Oamen explained that Navy usually have challenges in working with junior officers of Customs that the collaboration was betters at the senior officers level.
He called for collaboration from all officers especially the junior ones to protect the well- being of Nigeria.
