On Monday, October 6, 2025, the new Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Seme Border Area Command, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, summoned a crucial meeting of all stakeholders operating within the strategic border post. The meeting was attended by critical stakeholders which included all sister security agencies operating within the Seme Border, Benin Republic Customs Service’s representatives, traditional rulers, community leaders, the trading community, youth leaders and associations.
Notable dignities at the meeting were the Aholu of Kweme Kingdom Oba Sejiro Olalekan James, Onibereko of Ibereko Oba Israel Adewale Okoya, the Defence Attachee to the Nigerian Embassy at Porto Novo, Benin Republic Col. SB Yahaya who represented the Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic.
The meeting which was the second of its kind to be called by Comptroller Adenuga, was aimed at bringing the sister security agencies at the border together to form a formidable synergy that can maintain a watertight security ring that would ensure that thenceforth no unauthorized movement of persons and goods would be tolerated in order to keep the nation safe especially at the time Nigeria is contending with serious security challenges. It was also aimed at bringing all the relevant stakeholders, including the border communities, to a round table to decide and adopt the best approach to reduce smuggling in the area to its barest minimum, and achieve trade facilitation initiatives that would result in increased revenue generation for the government.
While addressing the meeting Comptroller Adenuga brought the issues of border security and trade facilitation to the fore, admonishing all participants to bare their minds on the critical issues so that the Customs Command under his watch can work with them to achieve the mandate of the Service.
”We want everyone to express their minds and tell ourselves the bitter truths. The more we facilitate trade, the better for our country. When trade thrives, crime reduces. That is the vision of our Comptroller General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, has consistently championed, building a legacy of trade facilitation and a conducive environment for economic growth”, Comptroller Adenuga had advised participants at the meeting.
The CAC came to the Seme Border Customs Command with a mindset to make a difference-to ensure a paradym shift from the status quo- in order to raise the bar on the success records of the Command. He stressed that his mission to the Seme Border Customs is to sanitize the volatile border and transform it to a secure revenue-spinning trade zone for the benefit of the entire country.
According to Adenuga, the best way to go about making good his intentions includes a leadership approach that recognizes the critical value and role of all the stakeholders of the Command.
Thus, at the meeting, he enjoined all stakeholders to recognize the fact that legitimate trade can flourish only in an environment where there is security and orderliness. Noting that the border location plays a pivotal role in regional trade in the West African Region, he encouraged security agencies to comply strictly with their various code of ethics and Standard Operating Procedures(SOP) if they wished to make a difference during his tenure.
Notably, high points of the meeting outcome included the pledge by the youths and community leaders to join hands with the Customs and other security agencies at the border to fight whatever that would affect legitimate trade and revenue generation negatively.
Hence, the stakeholders recognized the impediment imposed on the movements of persons and goods along the corridor by multiple checkpoints, and resolved to deal with it promptly. The stakeholders also agreed to work together to keep the border safe by reducing the checkpoints, chase away menacing camp boys and other touts who constituted nuisance on the roads and ensure respect for the rights and dignity of travelers and traders in and around the Seme Border axis.
There were also the resolution that any officials of government found or caught frustrating the movement of persons, and goods that have met all formal conditions, must be arrested and prosecuted, thenceforth trucks examination must be conducted strictly at the designated examination bay in order to streamline the process of importation into the country from the neighboring countries.
Indeed, the Comptroller Adenuga transformation agenda which is rooted firmly in his stakeholders’ engagement leadership approach, has begun to yield multiple benefits which are being felt across the country. One of such benefits is the security of lives of the citizens. This manifested on Thursday, October 9, 2025 during the event of showcasing the one month performance record of the Command under Comptroller Adenuga.
At the event, numerous seizures made by the Command were showcased, but one striking seizure was that of 10,000 bags of expired flour which the CAC said originated from Egypt. Adenuga confessed that the cooperation of stakeholders made the seizure possible. Had the expired item penetrated the local market, countless lives would have been lost due to food poisoning.
Within the one month reign of Comptroller Adenuga, the Command witnessed a whopping 182 percent increase in its revenue generation as it collected N1.5 billion revenue in September 2025 against the N531 million generated in August 2025. Stakeholders are saying that the Adenuga transformation mission at the border Command remains the best ever.
