By Adeola Badru
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has decorated 74 newly promoted officers in the Oyo/Osun Area Command as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen border security, suppress smuggling, and boost revenue generation.
The decoration ceremony, held at the command headquarters in Ibadan, showcased officers promoted across various cadres.
Addressing the gathering, Customs Area Controller for Oyo/Osun, Comptroller Gambo Iyere Aliyu, said the promotions were both a reward for service and a call to greater responsibility. He stressed that the elevation was strategic in preparing the command for evolving operational challenges.
“These promotions are not just ceremonial; they are strategic. They equip this command with a stronger, more accountable workforce to carry out the Service’s core mandate of revenue generation, trade facilitation, and the suppression of smuggling. You must justify your new ranks with discipline, commitment, and professionalism,” Aliyu said.
He described Oyo/Osun as a crucial corridor for customs enforcement and economic activity, given its proximity to key interstate routes and border networks. He urged officers to embrace continuous capacity building to outpace smuggling syndicates and effectively monitor trade activities.
The Controller noted that the deployment of the promoted officers would enhance enforcement, monitoring, and compliance in critical commercial areas, thereby contributing significantly to Nigeria’s non-oil revenue targets.
Speaking to journalists, the command’s Public Relations Officer, ASC I Abdulmalik Abiodun Akintola, explained that the promotion exercise reflected merit and hard work. “It also sends a clear message that the NCS is strengthening its capacity to meet national expectations,” he said.
The event was attended by senior officers, family members, and friends of the newly decorated officers, who described the achievement as a milestone in their careers.
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