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….Say Adeniyi’s Border Crackdown Protecting Economy, Agriculture, National Security

ABUJA — A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has dismissed allegations linking the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to the rising cost of food in Nigeria, insisting that the campaign against Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, is being orchestrated by cross-border smuggling syndicates and import cartels affected by the agency’s intensified anti-smuggling operations.

The coalition, under the umbrella of the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Economic Security and Justice, described recent calls for the removal of the Customs boss as “malicious” and “economically motivated,” arguing that the attacks were aimed at undermining efforts to secure Nigeria’s borders and protect the nation’s economy.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday and signed by its Convener and Director of Strategic Communications, Comrade James Okoronkwo, the coalition said blaming the Nigeria Customs Service for food inflation amounted to “economic blackmail.”

“It is sheer economic blackmail to blame the Customs Service for inflation when their core mandate is to secure our borders and protect the Nigerian economy from becoming a dumping ground for subsidized foreign goods,” the statement said.

The coalition maintained that the enforcement measures introduced by the Customs leadership were designed to protect Nigeria’s agricultural investments rather than worsen food prices.

According to the group, relaxing border controls would expose local farmers to unfair competition from smuggled food products and undermine the huge investments made by both the Federal Government and private investors in agriculture.

“The CGC’s strict enforcement of border security is safeguarding the trillions of naira invested by local farmers and the Federal Government in Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Reopening the borders to unregulated smuggling would instantly wipe out the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians across the agricultural value chain,” the coalition stated.

The CSOs further argued that unrestricted food imports would significantly increase demand for foreign exchange, thereby worsening pressure on the naira.

“Unrestricted mass importation of food staples would trigger an unprecedented demand for US dollars. This would inevitably weaken the naira further, leading to hyperinflation across all sectors of the economy, not just the food sector,” the statement added.

Beyond the economic implications, the coalition said the Customs Service’s operations also contribute significantly to national security by preventing the influx of illegal arms and ammunition through Nigeria’s borders.

“The Customs Service’s uncompromising stance at the borders is successfully curbing the influx of small arms and light weapons that fuel insecurity across the nation,” it noted.

The coalition praised Adeniyi’s leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service, saying his administration had strengthened revenue generation, blocked financial leakages and prioritized Nigeria’s long-term economic interests over the activities of criminal networks.

“Instead of facing vilification, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi deserves national commendation. Under his watch, the Nigeria Customs Service has shattered revenue generation records, blocked massive financial leakages, and successfully prioritized the long-term economic sovereignty of Nigeria over the short-term profits of saboteurs,” the statement read.

Passing what it described as a “Vote of Confidence” on the Customs Comptroller-General, the coalition urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerians to disregard campaigns seeking his removal.

It alleged that those behind the campaign were economic saboteurs whose illegal supply chains had been disrupted by ongoing anti-smuggling operations.

The coalition also encouraged Adeniyi to remain resolute in carrying out the statutory responsibilities of the Nigeria Customs Service.

“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian public to ignore the desperate propaganda of economic saboteurs. We urge the CGC to remain steadfast in his patriotic duty to secure our borders and protect Nigeria’s economic future,” the statement concluded.