Nigeria customs chief urges officers to show restraint
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Post
Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, head of the Nigeria Customs Service, has called on officers responsible for customs policing not to abuse their powers and to respect the law. He recalled that searches, arrests and detentions must be based on legal grounds, according to his remarks in Abuja.
The head of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, on Thursday called on customs police officers to show restraint in exercising their powers and to respect the law. He was speaking in Abuja at the inaugural Customs Police Summit, according to Daily Post.
Adeniyi recalled that the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 grants customs significant police powers, but that searches, arrests and detentions must be based on legal grounds. He also called on officers to demonstrate integrity before demanding it from traders and the public, according to Daily Post.
The customs chief said criminal networks use the same trade routes as legitimate operators to smuggle weapons and their components, narcotics, counterfeit medicines, protected species and illicit funds, sometimes through digital channels. He described the customs police unit as a central element in overseeing operations and ensuring officers' accountability.
