Customs Kaduna command gets new comptroller

The Nigeria Customs Service has entered a new chapter in Kaduna as Comptroller Sa’ad Hassan stepped in to lead the Area Command, vowing to sustain record-breaking revenue growth and intensify the fight against smuggling following the retirement of Assistant Comptroller-General Ahmed Tijjani Abe.

The development was announced in a statement posted on the Service’s official X handle on Tuesday and signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Ridwan Yusuf.

According to the statement, Assistant Comptroller-General Ahmed Tijjani Abe formally handed over on Friday, September 12, 2025, after what was described as a “successful tenure characterised by strong revenue growth.”

Between January and August 2025, the Command generated ₦30,090,207,200.36 — a 61.89 percent increase compared with ₦18,586,458,498.36 realised in the same period in 2024, representing an additional ₦11.5 billion.

This feat was achieved through intensified anti-smuggling operations, improved trade facilitation, stronger stakeholder engagement, and enhanced collaboration with security agencies,” the Command said.

Abe was also credited with prioritising staff welfare and capacity building, with the release noting that he “ensured regular training to boost officers’ efficiency.”

In his remarks, Comptroller Hassan commended his predecessor’s record and pledged to build on the gains.

I will sustain the revenue growth, intensify the fight against smuggling, and strengthen trade facilitation in line with the Service’s mandate and the federal government’s economic diversification drive,” he said.

He further appealed to stakeholders for support: “I urge importers, clearing agents, and all stakeholders to extend full cooperation to the Command so that together we can continue to contribute meaningfully to national development.”

It can be recalled That report on September 13, the Nigeria Customs Service announced the appointment of Comptroller Adebola Salawu as the new head of its Lagos Industrial Area Command, succeeding Comptroller Sarah Wadinda, who retired after a distinguished career. The handover ceremony took place at the Command’s headquarters in Festac Town, where Wadinda was commended for her leadership and initiatives such as the Customs Cares project, which provided Festac Senior Grammar School with a water treatment plant, an e-library, a photocopier, and refurbished toilets.

In his remarks, Salawu praised his predecessor’s achievements and pledged to build on them. He assured officers and stakeholders of his commitment to improving excise operations, urged cooperation in adopting the Unified Customs Management System (B’Odogwu), and emphasised the importance of training and engagement to enhance excise performance and strengthen contributions to national economic growth.

The back-to-back leadership changes in Kaduna and Lagos highlight the Customs Service’s push for continuity and reform, with both new comptrollers pledging to consolidate on past gains.

Culled from Punch.