In line with the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to strengthening inter-agency collaboration and deepening security cooperation, the Nigeria Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt Area I Command, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku recently paid courtesy visits to the Commander, 16 Brigade Headquarters, Brigadier General O. Obolo, and the Comptroller of Immigration, Bayelsa State Command, Comptroller F.O. Atteh.
This disclosure was contained in a press release issued and made available Friday by the Command’s Public Relations officer Barilule Aanee, an Assistant Superintendent of Customs 1, in Port Harcourt the Rivers state Capital.
The visits, which was marked with pomp took place in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital signifying a milestone in fostering closer ties between the Nigeria Customs Service and sister security agencies.
In her remarks Comptroller Atuluku appreciated the critical roles both the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Immigration Service play in ensuring national security, border control, and territorial integrity even as she added that the Nigeria Customs Service shared a common goal with those sister, agencies in safeguarding Nigeria’s borders, promoting lawful trade, and protecting the nation from economic sabotage.
According to her, the synergy among security agencies remained vital for the effective performance of their respective mandates.
The Area 1 Customs boss went further to posit that the Nigeria Customs Service is not only a revenue generating agency but also a key player in border management and national security explaining that through intelligence sharing, joint operations, and sustained collaboration, agencies can collectively address issues such as smuggling, illegal migration, and trafficking.
She reaffirmed her Command’s commitment to deepening relationships, particularly as the Port Harcourt Area I Command oversees Customs operations in Bayelsa outstation.
Responding, Brigadier General O. Obolo, the Commander of the 16 Brigade, commended Comptroller Atuluku for her visit and described it as a welcome gesture that has strengthened the long standing bond between the Army and Customs.
He treiterated the military’s readiness to continue working with the Nigeria Customs Service in intelligence-driven operations and patrols aimed at protecting the nation’s economic frontiers.
In the same vein, Comptroller F.O. Atteh of the Nigeria Immigration Service lauded the Customs Area Controller acknowledging the shared responsibility between both agencies in securing Nigeria’s borders and facilitating legitimate movement of goods and persons.
He pledged continued support and cooperation of the Immigration Service in the joint fight against cross-border crimes.
Concluding, Comptroller Atuluku stated that her visit was part of a familiarization and strengthening exercise to enhance coordination between the Port Harcourt Area I Command and sister agencies operating within the Bayelsa outstation.
She expressed optimism that her visit would not only promote operational harmony but also foster a more secure and peaceful environment for trade and national development.
By Bon Peters
