An All Round Officer at FOU
His predecessor, Sani Mudugu, described the new Comptroller of FOU, Mohammed Dahiru Umar, as a highly experienced and a great asset to the service.
By Evelyn Etinagbedia
Stakeholders who spoke to this magazine say that the recent deployment of Customs Area Controllers by the Customs hierarchy, aimed at repositioning the Service for effective service delivery, gives fillips to the new resolve by the Col. Alli-led Customs to reform the service for the good of Nigeria.
At a valedictory ceremony attended by senior officers of the Customs service, Comptroller Madugu described the new FOU Controller as a quintessential and highly experienced officer, who have made his mark in all aspects of Customs operations with attendant results.
While reminiscing on some of his achievements during his short stay as Area Controller of FOU, Madugu advised all officers to take advantage of the vast experience of the new Controller in order for them to learn the nitty-gritty of the job. He further, urged them to redouble their level of commitment through identification of appropriate operational modalities to degrade the activities of smugglers. The out gone Controller ascribed the successes recorded in FOU to the dexterity and doggedness of the officers/men of the service. He however warned them against complacency.
The new FOU boss, Comptroller Umar who hails from Katsina State and was enlisted into the Service as a Cadet Officer in 1982 after graduation from the prestigious Bayero University Kano was described by those who know him as a highly cerebral officer who has attended courses in all aspects of Customs operation locally, regionally and internationally. Some of the courses included but not limited to Valuation and Classification, Post Clearance Audit, Corporate Governance and Leadership. The magazine discovered that Umar became a full Controller in 2012 and has served as Area Controller in the Premier Port Apapa, PTML Command, Murtarla Mohammed Airport Command, Federal Capital Territory Command and last served as Controller promotion at the NCS Headquarters before his present posting.
It will be recalled that following the remarkable achievement recorded by the FOU, as hub and flagship of anti-smuggling, the NCS hierarchy for the umpteenth time, commended DSC Jude Ohagwu for outstanding performance. This much was disclosed by the former FOU Controller during the valedictory session. He described the team leader as a workaholic and brave officer, whose operational records have brought fame and accolades to the Unit.
This perhaps may be why the former Controller urged team leaders to continually replicate high operational pedigree so as to remain a front line Unit in all ramifications.
Meanwhile as part of the measures introduced by the present Customs Management to tackle smuggling in all fronts, the Headquarters Compliance Team Idiroko axis headed by Assistant Comptroller of Customs Shittu Ajibola, made a startling seizure of an Izuzu mini truck with registration number LSR 22 XQ, suspected to belong to Fedex Courier Express, conveying one hundred (100) cartons of smuggled frozen poultry products.
Inside sources told this magazine that shortly after inauguration, the team embarked on heightened intelligence gathering network, aimed at unraveling new strategies employed by smugglers to beat security Agents. This approach, which is a paradigm shift from the conventional method, led to the interception of this truck along the Ijebu-Ode