By Tola Adenubi
Copyright tribuneonlineng
In just 16 months, the Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), ACG Babatunde Olomu, transformed the nation’s busiest port, Apapa, into a powerhouse of revenue generation and enforcement, contributing a staggering N3.7trillion into government coffers while tightening security through high-profile seizures, writes TOLA ADENUBI.
On Tuesday, 2nd September, 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared that Nigeria had met its 2025 revenue target ahead of schedule and would no longer rely on borrowing to fund its budget.
While addressing stakeholders who visited him at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, President Tinubu said his administration’s non-oil revenue drive had yielded enough to meet this year’s projections by August, reducing Nigeria’s dependence on external loans.
Checks by the Nigerian Tribune however revealed that the federal government couldn’t have achieved this feat of meeting its revenue target in August without the contribution of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Speaking recently at the 63rd board meeting of the NCS, Chairman of the Customs Board and Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun said that the NCS met and surpassed its revenue target for the first half of 2025 by 11.85 per cent, raking in a total revenue of N3.68trillion between January and June 2025, thus surpassing the projected revenue for the period by N390,197,847,119.32. This figure represents 55.93 percent of its annual revenue target.
THE OLOMU EFFECT
The Apapa Command of the NCS under the leadership of ACG BabatundeOlomu, has in no small means contributed immensely to the revenue generated by the Customs Service and the federal government.
After taking over the leadership of the Apapa Customs Command on the 5th of May, 2024, the Command has generated a whopping N3.7trillion between May 2024 and July 2025.
According to a breakdown of revenue made available to the Nigerian Tribune, Apapa Command generated N175.139billion in May 2024; N178.265billion in June; N201.853billion in July; N189.544 billion in August; N193.930 billion in September; N264.455 billion in October; N229.320 billion in November and N252.530billion in December 2024.
In January 2025. ACG Olomu generated N269. 323 billion; N216.988billion in February; N215.910billion in March; N230.713 billion in April; N230.712billion in May; N209.181 billion in June; N214.509 billion in July, and N215,000 generated in August, giving a total of N3.709trillion in the last 16 months he held sway as the Customs Area Controller of Apapa port.
Also, in the 15 months Olomu held sway, the command intercepted 75 seizures of various items such as assorted rifles, ammunition, expired pharmaceuticals, fake drugs and even banned substances such as Codeine, Tramadol, used clothing, expired margarine, codeine syrup, wild animal skins, and stolen vehicles.
Additionally, 60 units of warrior drones without valid end-user certificates were recovered and another 53 helicopter drones, evacuated from a container marked CFAX3, carried an estimated duty-paid value of N2.1 million.
Ten professional FM transceiver walkie-talkies were also confiscated, along with other contraband.
The seizures, worth several billions of naira, were 62 pieces of 40ft containers and 13 pieces of 20ft containers.
CGC COMMENDATIONS
The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir AdewaleAdeniyi has commended ACG Olomu over his exploits in disrupting the illegal importation of restricted, expired, fake pharmaceuticals as well as disruption ofimportation of security and communication equipment, such as drones and walkie-talkies, among others.
The CGC commended officers and men of the Apapa Command for their vigilance and professionalism, urging stakeholders within the international trade ecosystem to comply strictly with import regulations.
He said importers label pharmaceuticals as general merchandise or cosmetics in an attempt to evade detection.
Also, diversification of contraband shipments, with importers mixing pharmaceuticals, expired food, and restricted technology items in a single container suggested the involvement of sophisticated criminal networks rather than isolated smugglers.
The CG, who emphasised that the seizures were not isolated efforts, applauded ACG Olomu over his enforcement drive to thwart the importation of illicit cargo into the country.
“I want to specially commend Comptroller BabatundeOlomu, and the officers working with him for this anti-smuggling exploit.
“The Apapa Command handles the highest volume of trade for NCS, collects the highest revenue, and is therefore saddled with a higher degree of expectation from the management of the Service and the government. I urge them to maintain this level of performance.
“Let me advise our port users to embrace only legitimate trade. NCS, under my leadership, is fully committed to its responsibilities in detecting all forms of concealment,” CGC Adeniyi stated.
On the dangers such goods would pose to the nation at large, the Comptroller General of Customs said he was calling on all patriotic citizens to assist the Nigeria Customs Service as according to him, the issue was not that of Customs alone but the generality of the people as any information shared with the Customs would help prevent what he described as a potential catastrophe.
INTER-AGENCY COLLABORATION
The Customs CGC described the event as historic. He highlighted the critical role of institutional collaboration in achieving the seizure, particularly the contributions of NDLEA, NAFDAC, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
“This success reflects the strength of our collaboration, which aligns with the Service’s policy of unity through cooperation, consolidation, and innovation.
“We will strengthen our intelligence networks, enhance our inter-agency collaborations, and ensure that those who seek to harm our nation face the full weight of the law.
“I want to assure all Nigerians that the Nigeria Customs Service will continue to be a formidable force in the fight against smuggling and the illegal importation of harmful goods. We will remain steadfast in our duties to ensure that our nation remains a safe place for all to thrive,” CGC Adeniyi added.
The combined feat of surpassing revenue targets ahead of schedule and intercepting billions of naira worth of contraband underscores the Nigeria Customs Service’s pivotal role in stabilising the nation’s economy and safeguarding its security.
With the Apapa Command under ACG BabatundeOlomu emerging as a stronghold of both revenue generation and enforcement, Customs has proven that technology, vigilance, and inter-agency collaboration are the backbone of Nigeria’s non-oil revenue drive.
As President Tinubu rightly noted, meeting the 2025 revenue target before year-end reflects a turning point in Nigeria’s fiscal independence—one in which Customs remains a cornerstone.
