Patriotism: CGC Took Away A Frank Patriot and Brought Another Frank Patriot
By Ovie Edomi
If there is any man in the public service who has a reputation for being incorruptible, meticulous, professional and stickler for due process, rule of law, surpassing revenue target and working in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that officer is the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, PhD.
Contrary to the impression that is being bandied in some quarters that the Nigeria Customs Service is interested in revenue generation than trade facilitation, this magazine’s Editor investigation revealed that, since Adeniyi became the nation’s Customs boss, the Nigeria Customs Service has become professionalised. Besides, officers under Adeniyi can be sure of rapid promotion, training and re-training as well as motivation of officers through better welfare for officers and their wives.
In the past officers who demonstrated gallantness, patriotism or a gesture that set them apart from other men of the service got rewarded with promotion and equally recommended for national honour. But at a time, it appeared as if all that was forgotten until Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Since then the narrative has been different.
Officers no matter their tribe, once they are seen to be giving outstanding performance in any Customs Area Command across Nigeria, Adewale Adeniyi,has a way of identifying such officers.
One of such officers is, Frank Onyeka, a former Deputy Controller, who caught Adeniyi’s attention, in his outstanding performance as DC and he got him promoted to Comptroller. Again, his meritorious service and patriotism made him get promoted recently to the position of ACG and moved to Abuja, on May 22,2026.
When Frank Onyeka handed over to his successor recently, the mood all over Tin Can Command was as if the man should not leave. Dozens of groups gathered at different locations discussing the going of Frank Onyeka from them. Everyone the magazine editor spoke to, narrated how the posting of Frank Onyeka to Tin Can Island Customs Command made life have more meaning. Their stories meant that despite the enormous seizures of illicit drugs, and making Tin Can a no go area for criminal minded individuals, thousands of other port users got the midas touch of Onyeka, a man that dubious importers and their agents avoided.
In fact, it is believed that the top echelon of the Nigeria Customs Service particularly, the Customs board, the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, PhD, may have picked Onyeka for promotion to the rank of Comptroller and later ACG because of his unprecedented level of patriotism, and dedication to the Nigeria Customs. Besides, Frank Onyeka carried on with his duties bravely, in line with the charge the Number one man of the Nigeria Customs Service gave the Comptrollers and other ranks. Onyeka on his part, never failed rather he surprised book makers with his remarkable achievements and patriotism.
For example, rather than allow importers who bring in illicit drugs through the Port to have their way, investigations by the magazine editor showed that he gave the illicit drugs importers a run for their money by deploying intelligence-driven operations, improved compliance strategies, robust stakeholder engagement, in addition to the deployment of modern trade facilitation mechanisms aimed at balancing enforcement with legitimate trade. One importer told this magazine editor without knowing his identity that, is like Onyeka has agents in top sea ports all over the world who give him information on illicit drugs coming to the port he heads hence the importers are unable to have their way at Tin Can island Customs Command, this he noted is coupled with the uncompromising roles of his surveillance men as well as the enforcement officers.
Apart from fighting the illicit drugs cartel and defeating them, Onyeka made sure in line with directives from the Customs No 1 man, Adewale Adeniyi, that all areas of revenue leakages through which undiserable elements milk the country dry, were completely blocked and all illicit drugs importers shown the red card.
By this act alone, the revenue profile of Tin Can island customs Area command not only jumped up, the importers of illicit drugs who tried to use the port to bring in their contrabands got their fingers burnt.
In the year 2025,under Onyeka’s watch the Nigeria Customs Service surpassed its 2025 revenue generation target. The Command generated N1.61 trillion instead of the N1.52 trillion earlier targeted thus recording a surplus of over N51.8 billion. Tin Can Island Customs Area Command equally set a new revenue record on August 19, 2025 when it raked in N16.4 billion in a single day. Also, in 2026 precisely in February, Tin Can Island Customs Area Command generated N120.4 billion, a record breaking figure that was generated into the federal government coffers. In the first-quarter of 2026, Tin Can Island Customs Area Command revenue generation reached N401 billion, signaling sustained momentum.
It would be recalled also that in January this year following extensive physical examination of containers, along with other relavant agencies which included the NDLEA operatives and the DSS, a container was found to contain 55 jumbo bags of cannabis and one colts MK IV series 70.45 Automatic Caliber Pistol (S419) were found. Three used vehicles namely, a Hyundai Santa, a used Toyota Sienna and another fairly used Toyota matric were used as means of concealing the prohibited items.Earlier, Onyeka’s men intercepted narcotics worth N5.3billon concealed in container that originated from Canada. Also under the watch of Onyeka, the Nigeria Customs service recorded significant breakthroughs, particularly in the interception and seizure of illicit drugs and other prohibited items with an estimated street value exceeding Thirty-Five Billion Naira. These seizures underscore the collective resolve to protect the nation from criminal networks and to safeguard the health, security, and future of the Nigeria society.
Despite the fact that Tin Can Island Customs Area Command remains a revenue generation power house, the reforms of the Command within the Nigeria Customs Service, has helped to control the huge dangers of uncontrolled drugs in Nigeria’s market.
Investigations by this magazine revealed that from the bustling streets of Port Harcourt, Warri, Enugu, Lagos, Onitsha, Benin, Asaba, Kano, Kaduna, Jos, Lokoja, Mina, and so on, uncontrolled drugs, sedatives and so on exchange hands in rapid proportion. The situation is indeed very embarrassing to both National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, National Agency for Food and National Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON
But the Nigeria Customs Service under the leadership of Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, PhD, continues to direct his officers to ensure that hard drugs and unathourised pharmaceutical products do not enter Nigeria through the land, sea and air borders.
Observers say the efforts of Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi’s officers, reinforced the role of the Nigeria Customs Service as a critical national security agency committed to combating transnational organised crime as well as gradually stopping flooding the streets of the country’s major cities with prohibited drugs.
What can be more patriotic than preventing undesirable elements from flooding the streets of the country’s major cities with prohibited and hard drugs?
This is coming at a time when a United Nations study on drugs and crime revealed that about 500,000 people die annually from counterfeit or fake drugs in Sub-Sahara Africa countries. Some of these drugs from China, Belgium, India, France, Canada and so on are diverted through the Sahel region because of the vigilance of men of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The development has led to more vigilance on the part of officers at the land, sea and air borders especially with a World Health Organisation report also indicating that sub Sahara Africa people spend between 12 million Dollars and 44.7 million Dollars every year on substandard products which enter the region. As part of the multi facent approach to address the problem of prohibited pharmaceutical products and illicit drugs from finding ways to enter Nigeria, Adewale Adeniyi, CGC told his men that as part of protecting the nation in line with President Tinubu’s agenda, contraband items must not flood the Nigeria market anymore.
Until his promotion, under Onyeka’s watch at Tin Can, the command the entire intercepted illicit drugs and other prohibited goods were worth an estimated street value close to a trillion Naira. Officials said the seizures reflected the service’s expanding role in national security and its mandate to disrupt transnational criminal networks operating through Nigeria’s maritime gateways.
Until his promotion, under Onyeka’s watch at Tin Can, the command’s entire intercepted illicit drugs and other prohibited goods were worth an estimated street value of close to a trillion Naira. Officials said the seizures reflected the Service’s expanding role in national security and its’ mandate to disrupt transnational criminal networks operating through Nigeria’s maritime gateways.
Though ACG Onyeka described his tenure at the Command as challenging, rewarding, and impactful but he equally noted that the successes recorded were made possible through the support of officers, stakeholders, and the Adewale Adeniyi’s leadership.
According to him Adewale Adeniyi, his CGC was actually the force that propelled him to do the exploits he did across many Customs Area Commands.
It would be recalled that recently, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) through the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, emphasised on the import of stronger collaboration, intelligence sharing, and inter-agency synergy in addressing terrorism financing, money laundering, wildlife trafficking, and other forms of transnational organised crimes.
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), made this known during a study tour by participants of the Operational Level Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Regional Security Course Two (CFTRSC – OPL2) from the National Defence College, held at the Customs Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He lauded the growing capacity development within the Service, as well as the participation of officers drawn from various formations across the country.
He described Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list as a significant milestone that restored investors confidence and strengthened the country’s global financial standing.
He explained that, before Nigeria’s exit from the grey list, Nigerian-issued bank cards faced restrictions abroad, which affected international transactions and the nation’s image.
According to him, the role of Customs has evolved beyond revenue generation and border enforcement, noting that offences such as under-valuation, over valuation, wildlife trafficking, illicit movement of African resources, and other trade-based violations now constitute major financial crimes.
He further disclosed ongoing collaboration with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and airline operators on automated currency declaration systems.
“For us to get ahead of these criminals, we must continue to work together and subject our individual mandates to broader national security objectives,” he said.
Earlier, the Team Lead and Course Director Coordinator, Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CTCOIN/CFT) Unit at the National Defence College, Dr. Adam Abdullahi, noted that terrorism financing remains the lifeline of terrorism globally.
He stressed the need for collaboration among the Department of State Services (DSS), the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Armed Forces, Customs, and other relevant agencies to ensure effective coordination.
“The lifeline of terrorism is financing, and tackling it cannot be done by one institution alone,” he said.
In a presentation, the officer in charge of the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) Unit of NCS, Assistant Comptroller of Customs (AC) Mas’ud Salihu, highlighted how criminal networks exploit global connectivity and supply chains to move funds and illicit goods across borders.
He emphasised the role of Customs in enforcing currency declaration policies and intercepting prohibited items, including arms and drugs, while calling for stronger local and international cooperation.
Indeed, the Comptroller-General of Customs and Chairman of the World Customs Organisation Council, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR PhD psc (+), visionary and transformational leadership philosophy has continued to reposition the Nigeria Customs Service for greater efficiency, professionalism, transparency, and national relevance. He will continue to groom officers after him and the Nigeria Customs Service will be better for it, Prince Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu stated.
This much was emphasised by the Secretary, Customs Consultative Committee (CCC), Fwdr. Eugene Nweke, Rff, who described the promotion of Onyeka to the prestigious rank of Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) of the Nigeria Customs Service by the CGC and the Customs board, as well deserved having offered years of sacrificial service to “our dear nation and humanity at large”.
Nweke described Onyeka as one of the “finest and most refined Customs officers whose commitment to national service, institutional growth and stakeholder management has consistently distinguished him within the Customs ecosystem”. This was corroborated by another university don and key stakeholder in the freight forwarding business Dr Charles Okorefe when he noted, ” Onyeka’s roles stand as practical testament to visionary leadership, administrative discipline and strategic intelligence”.
When asked what was the secret behind his success, Onyeka said it was God, the Comptroller-General of Customs and Chairman of the World Customs Organisation Council, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR PhD psc (+), whose unequalled leadership, as well as the Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), whose humanitarian and family-oriented programmes continue to positively impact the welfare of officers’ families and the larger community, made his service to the country easier. He acknowledged the importance of family support systems in building a motivated and productive workforce, which COWA provides. He equally appreciated the collective roles of officers of the Service at all levels.
Indeed for Adewale Adeniyi, he has not only created a Nigeria Customs Service where professionalism is foremost, his programmes now create opportunities for committed and patriotic men of the service to meaningfully advance in the service under his tenure. How will officers ever forget Bashir Adewale Adeniyi’s unequalled and exemplary leadership especially at this crucial stage of our national development and history.