05/11/2025
CUSTOMS INTENSIFIES FIGHT AGAINST SMUGGLING IN BADAGRY, SEEKS COMMUNITY COOPERATION
The Nigeria Customs Service has strengthened its efforts to combat smuggling activities in the Badagry area of Lagos State, urging local communities to collaborate with the service in its campaign against economic saboteurs.
Comptroller Patrick Ntadi, Area Controller of the Western Marine Command, made the appeal during a courtesy visit to His Majesty, the Akran of Badagry, De Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi I, and his council of chiefs on Tuesday.
Ntadi emphasized that the fight against smuggling and the inflow of illicit substances was a collective responsibility that required the cooperation of traditional leaders and residents. This fight is not for the Customs Service alone.
We need the cooperation of our community leaders and all stakeholders to rid our area of smugglers and drug traffickers, he said. According to him, coastal and border communities in Badagry have become regular routes for smugglers bringing in prohibited items, including drugs, into the country.
Ntadi expressed concern that the smuggling of illicit substances had worsened the problem of drug abuse among youths in Badagry and beyond. He revealed that the command had designed several interventions to tackle the twin challenges of smuggling and drug abuse, emphasizing that the Customs Service under the leadership of Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi had also created a Community Care Desk to address local welfare concerns.
Drug abuse is destroying our youth and hurting the economy. Through constant sensitization, we aim to take our youths off the streets and channel their energy into meaningful ventures, Ntadi said. The Comptroller, who disclosed that he had lived in Badagry for over two decades, described the visit as both professional and personal, stressing that the service shared a long-standing relationship with the community.
Responding on behalf of the Akran, Chief Abel Ogunbiyi, the Ovipetoji of Badagry Kingdom, commended Ntadi for his honesty, consistency, and devotion to duty. He acknowledged the Customs Command’s past community outreach efforts but expressed concern over growing unemployment in the area. Our youths are not lazy; they are only frustrated by a lack of opportunities.
We appeal to Customs and other agencies to extend employment opportunities to our youths to give them hope, Ogunbiyi said. Also speaking, Chief Emmanuel Afolabi, the Zonlin-Gbedudugan of Badagry Kingdom, warned that the rising rate of drug consumption among youths could soon turn the community into a haven for mental instability if unchecked.
He called for greater collaboration between Customs, other security agencies, and community associations to strengthen sensitization campaigns. Similarly, Chief Thomas Yemayinse noted that inadequate jobs and social amenities had made young people vulnerable to smuggling and drug peddling. If we create opportunities, these youths will become assets, not threats to society, he said.
