Customs dissolves joint border patrol team, reduces checkpoints

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has dissolved its joint border patrol team (JBPT).

A statement on Tuesday by Abdullahi Maiwada, NCS national public relations officer, said the decision was made after due consultation with the office of the national security adviser (ONSA).

He added that it was also part of the NCS’ efforts to strengthen border management and reinvigorate its 2025 enforcement strategy.

The JBPT, coordinated by the ONSA, evolved from an ex-swift response team to become a tripartite operation comprising Benin Republic, Niger Republic, and Nigeria.

The patrol team was tasked with combating smuggling, irregular migration, and other transnational organised crimes along the nations’ borders, among others.

Maiwada said the team’s dissolution will not compromise border security or trade facilitation, but represents a significant step towards modernising customs operations, improving trade compliance, and strengthening national security.

The NCS said the move was part of the organisation’s ‘2025 enforcement strategy’.

“This strategy is aimed at removing bottlenecks associated with trade, strengthening border security, combating smuggling, and facilitating legitimate trade,” he said.

Maiwada added that Adewale Adeniyi, NCS comptroller-general (CG), had approved the reduction of customs checkpoints across the country to streamline its operations and to ease movement of goods and persons.

According to the statement, Adeniyi said the NCS would shift reliance to intelligence.

“Moving forward, customs operations will rely more on actionable intelligence and strategic risk management frameworks to enhance efficiency and effectiveness,” the statement quoted the CG as saying.

“Also, the service is deploying geospatial tools and advanced technologies to ensure the effectiveness of NCS enforcement strategies.

“This development underscores the service’s commitment to leveraging innovative, intelligence-driven approaches for effective border enforcement and anti-smuggling operations.”

The statement commended the efforts of the JBPT and emphasised the NCS’ commitment to improving border security.