The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, on Monday charged officers of the Customs Intelligence Unit to place intelligence at the centre of their professional conduct.
This is even as he advised that no modern security or revenue operation can succeed without timely, credible and well-applied intelligence.
According to a Wednesday statement by the National Public Relations Officer of the service, Abdullahi Maiwada, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs, the CGC gave the charge during the opening ceremony of the training programme at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
Adeniyi described the training programme as the NCS’s first formal engagement of the year and a moment that could shape the professional outlook of participants.
Welcoming officers to the college, the CGC said the programme came at a critical time, urging participants to see the New Year as an opportunity to make tangible contributions to the service and the country.
Reflecting on recent global and domestic security developments, Adeniyi referenced military and security interventions across different regions, including operations within Nigeria that led to the interception of arms and ammunition.
According to him, “Intelligence remains the common thread behind every successful military or paramilitary operation, and customs officers must appreciate its value beyond theory.”
He urged participants to revisit papers earlier presented during the programme, noting that they already contained practical guidance required for effective field operations.
Earlier, the Commandant of the NCCSC, Dow Gaura, an Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, described intelligence as a quiet but decisive force in institutional transformation.
He said the ability to gather, analyse and apply intelligence has become indispensable in responding to emerging security and economic realities.
Gaura said the NCS has consistently invested in intelligence-led training as part of its capacity-building strategy, describing the programme as a key phase in the professional development of participants.
He explained that intelligence underpins risk management, revenue protection, the disruption of smuggling networks and the protection of the national economy.
Gaura urged officers to approach the training with seriousness, noting that the management had provided experienced facilitators, relevant materials and a structured learning environment to enhance focus and outcomes.
While acknowledging that comfort levels might differ from what some participants were used to, he said the objective was to instil discipline and concentration.
