This issue was in line with a question on why they drop their seizures at various warehouses andthe issue of visually little or no press briefings. In his words,
"Nigeria Customs Service remains the same no matter the various commands and units, their services and mandate remain the same. The bottomline is to facilitate trade in line with international procedures and the enforcement of laws guiding any breech in this trade facilitation like smuggling, concealment, wrong declarations of goods imported and so on.
"On the issue of government warehouses, we should know with the appelation that the warehouses belong to the government and not a particular command. The JBPT by its mandate and statutory responsibility like the Federal Operations have the right to drop their seizures at the nearest warehouses to the seizures. You are aware of the volatile nature of these smugglers who are ready to attack the enforcement officers while returning these seizures to the warehouses. It is therefore adviseable for the officers to secure the seizures at the nearest available government warehouses.
"Our work does not give pleasure to non compliant traders and the diehard smugglers. The Customs enforcement requires an altimum tactical approach because these smugglers are not happy when they make losses. We are therefore required to also let them know the dangers behind their naiferous activities through sensitization programmes like townhall lectures where they also participate.
"That we are not frequently organising press briefing does not mean that we are not performing. JBPT is a distinct unit with various security operatives involved. One of the main purpose of the unit is to take serious care of the security of the nation by blocking all infiltrations through the nation's borders," DC Shuaibu said.
On administration of the unit, he quickly responded that the officers and men of the unit are very cooperative in line of their duties. The unit has greatly provided a wonderful opportunity for the various security operatives in the nation to work together.
In a bid to combatting smuggling, irregular migration and other transnational organised crimes along the nation’s border coupled with the gradual reopening of the borders, Joint Border Patrol Team JBPT was launched in August 2019 as Operation Swift Response (OSR) and coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). With the reopening of the borders for commercial activities, items such as parboiled rice, frozen chicken, illicit drugs, among others remain prohibited.
These apart from arms and amminition formed the major area for the unit to keep in check. Meanwhile, a statement from the Nigeria Customs Service revealed that the unit came into operation, the smuggling of illicit drugs and proliferation of small arms and light weapons used to exacerbate violent extremism and
terrorism in some parts of the country have been significantly curbed.
Finally as the discussion came to a partial end DC Shuaibu said that the “the priority remains to keep our borders safe from any inimical activity that will compromise our national interests. We therefore thank all Nigerians, especially the business community for their continuous support.”
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