Customs, Navy Intensify Joint Maritime Patrols As Anti-Drug Operations Record Gains

Customs, Navy Intensify Joint Maritime Patrols As Anti-Drug Operations Record Gains
By Prince Benson Davies

The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Navy have strengthened collaboration to enhance maritime surveillance and check criminal activities within Nigeria’s territorial waters.

The renewed partnership was reinforced on August 27, 2026, when a delegation from the Western Naval Command paid a working visit to the FOU Zone A headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.

Welcoming the team, the Comptroller in charge of FOU Zone A, Gambo Aliyu, said deeper cooperation between both agencies is critical to securing the nation’s maritime domain and protecting border communities.

He noted that the collaboration has evolved from routine inter-agency engagement to a more strategic alliance, given the importance of maritime security to trade facilitation and national safety.

Aliyu added that the visit provided both agencies an opportunity to review criminal hotspots along the coast and identify specific Areas of Surveillance requiring joint action.

Responding, the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Mustapha, said the partnership is already yielding results and sending a clear warning to criminal groups operating at sea.

He disclosed that the Navy and FOU Zone A recently carried out a joint operation involving the deployment of a helicopter and special forces to targeted hotspots in a bid to disrupt drug trafficking networks.

The operation, he said, led to the interception of a truck loaded with illicit drugs.

Mustapha emphasized the need to sustain the momentum through improved intelligence sharing, coordinated deployments, and regular joint surveillance missions.

He added that sustained cooperation between the Navy and Customs will help dismantle criminal networks and strengthen the protection of Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

Both agencies reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together to secure the maritime environment and support government efforts to curb smuggling and drug trafficking.