The war against smuggling is set to become fiercer as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command (WMC) has taken delivery of two ocean-going vessels for better sea patrol and policing.
The vessels named ‘Customs Pride’ and ‘Group of Nine’ reportedly arrived from Turkey last week.
The Customs Area Controller, Western Marine Command, Yusuf Umar, in a recent interview with some journalists had hinted plans by the Comptroller General of NCS, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, to provide the command with sea-going vessels to fortify its operations.
He said the vessels can take a good number of Customs personnel onboard and equipped with facilities that can sustain them on the sea for weeks.
“The Customs CG has a robust plan for the service. He promised us these vessels. The vessels are equipped with the right facilities to sustain men of the service on the sea for a long time.
“Mere seeing the vessels on water will send signals to smugglers, including those stealing our oil and other smuggling activities on waters because we can pursue them with this kind of vessels to any length,” he said.
Umar said an elaborate ceremony to commission the vessels is being planned by the management.
“We are awaiting further directives from the headquarters on when the Controller General will commission the vessels. This is a landmark achievement by the Service,” he said.
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