LSSTF, Customs unit seek stronger security collaboration

Executive Secretary/CEO, LSSTF, Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan

The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, has called for stronger collaboration among security agencies to tackle smuggling and transnational crimes.

According to a statement obtained by The PUNCH on Wednesday, Ogunsan made the call when the Comptroller of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, paid him a courtesy visit at the fund’s office in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

He expressed the readiness of the LSSTF to explore areas of cooperation with the Customs Service, particularly in providing equipment, logistics and other institutional support to strengthen security operations.

“There are a lot of things we could do together,” Ogunsan said, adding that security efforts extended beyond conventional policing and military operations.

He said the Customs Service played an important role in preventing the entry of prohibited goods, intercepting illicit consignments and enforcing laws governing the movement of goods across the country’s borders.

According to him, the agency’s enforcement activities contributed to protecting lives, public institutions and national security.

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Ogunsan also highlighted the deterrent effect of Customs officers’ presence on the roads, recalling an incident in which a driver travelling at high speed became apprehensive after sighting officers.

He said the visibility of Customs personnel could discourage criminal elements from exploiting importation channels to bring dangerous or prohibited items into the country.

In his remarks, Afeni thanked Ogunsan for the reception, expressing the Customs Service’s interest in establishing a working relationship with the fund to advance their shared security objectives.

He said the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, was responsible for anti-smuggling operations and enforcement across the South-West, with its headquarters in Lagos.

“I believe we can synergise to ensure that Lagos is free and, by extension, the entire South-West is free of crime,” Afeni said.

He also commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, for his leadership and efforts to prioritise national interests and border security.