The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Western Marine Command, has pledged to strengthen its partnership with the Nigerian Navy to intensify the fight against smuggling and improve maritime security.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, Christiana Nwosu, disclosed this in a statement issued in Lagos on Friday.
She said the Controller of the Western Marine Command, Deputy Comptroller Thomas Jonah, made the commitment during a courtesy visit to the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, at the naval command’s headquarters in Lagos.
Jonah said the visit was aimed at deepening inter-agency cooperation and reinforcing security across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Describing the visit as a homecoming, the controller recalled his days as a student in the area and the memorable experiences he had there.
He noted that his background in the maritime sector had strengthened his relationship with the Navy, assuring that he would sustain the cooperation established by his predecessors.
Jonah emphasised the importance of inter-agency collaboration in tackling security challenges, stressing that no agency could achieve national security objectives in isolation.
He added that effective collaboration and teamwork remained essential to achieving shared security goals.
In his response, Mustapha thanked Jonah for the visit and commended the Customs Western Marine Command for its contributions to maritime security and anti-smuggling operations.
The naval chief reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to sustained cooperation with the command, particularly through enhanced communication, intelligence sharing and joint operations.
He said the partnership would help secure the nation’s waterways while facilitating legitimate trade.
