Investigation reveals that most die-hard smugglers in Ogun State now panic since the youthful, no-nonsense Deputy Comptroller Olukayde Afeni takes over the leadership of the Ogun 1 Customs Area Command at Idiroko
By Innocent Chukwu
The acting Customs Area Controller (CAC) of Ogun 1 Customs Command, Idiroko, Ogun State, Deputy Comptroller (DC) Olukayode Oladapo Afeni has resumed duty at the Command since Thursday, December 4, 2025 with vigour, and strategic plans to defeat smugglers in their own game. The youthful and workaholic Afeni had earned the confidence of the Customs management headed by the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi while he served at the Service’s Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Lagos. Consequently, CGC Adeniyi found Afeni most competent among equals to lead the volatile border Command.
Interestingly, the focus of many stakeholders is no more on DC Afeni’s competence which had been proved before his posting than on the feelers emanating from Idiroko that many die-hard smugglers have begun to relocate upon the arrival of the new CAC to the Command. While at the FOU ‘A’ Lagos, DC Afeni reportedly dealt heavy blows on smugglers terrorising the South west zone. Now as the acting CAC, Afeni has vowed to unleash a double portion of the deadly blows on all forms of smuggling activities in and around the Idiroko Border and the entire Ogun State, a threat that has brought calm to the border Command since his arrival.
According to a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSC Chado Zakari, the formal handover took place at the Command’s Headquarters in Idiroko. The ceremony, DSC Zakari said, marked a seamless transition from the outgone Area Controller, Comptroller Godwin Otunla, within one of Nigeria’s most strategic land border Commands.
In his taking over address, Afeni expressed appreciation to the CGC for the trust placed in him by the management, and pledged to build on the Command’s achievements in trade facilitation, revenue generation and anti-smuggling operations.
He said, “It is a great honour to assume the leadership of Ogun I. I am fully aware of the unique operational environment of the command, with its vast borders, and its strategic importance to national security and the economy. I assure you that I will consolidate the gains recorded by my predecessor and pursue continuous improvement in efficiency, enforcement, intelligence-driven operations, stakeholder collaboration and community relations.”
Afeni reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening inter-agency cooperation and collaboration, tackling smuggling and reducing it to the barest minimum, and prioritising personnel welfare and professional development during his tenure.
A seasoned officer with nearly two decades of professional experience, Afeni is known for his strategic leadership, operational expertise, and strong academic background.
He holds a B.Tech in Industrial Design from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, and a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and Strategic Studies from the University of Lagos.
His professional development includes courses in conflict management, international negotiation, strategic leadership and rural border patrol operations from institutions such as the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (Nigeria Peace Academy), the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, and other training bodies. He is also a member of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria (Chartered).
While delivering his farewell remarks, Comptroller Otunla described his tenure as “challenging yet fulfilling,” noting that the Command recorded major milestones in suppressing smuggling, boosting trade facilitation and improving personnel welfare.
He added that inter-agency cooperation under his leadership significantly enhanced border security and crime control across the Command’s area of responsibility.
According to Otunla, “I am confident that DC Afeni will consolidate the gains and lead the Command to greater heights”.
Zakari added that the leadership transition at the Ogun I Command marked another step in the Service’s ongoing efforts to strengthen border security, sustain the fight against smuggling and safeguard the expansive land borders under the Command.
