Customs, Operation HADIN KAI strengthen strategic border alliance in N/east

By Azeez Sulaiman

The Nigeria Customs Service has significantly ramped up its collaborative efforts with the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, to fortify border security across Borno and Yobe States.

This strategic realignment was formalized during a high-level working visit by the Custom Area Controller for the region, Controller Abdullahi Mohammed Idris, to the task force headquarters today.

During the engagement, Controller Idris emphasized that the primary goal is to reinforce the synergy between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Armed Forces to more effectively combat regional security threats.

A central component of this modern security strategy involves the deployment of Geo-Spatial Surveillance Technology across Nigeria’s land and maritime borders, a move designed to sharpen monitoring and rapid response capabilities.

The Controller noted that such technological advancements must be paired with seamless inter-agency coordination to manage the complex security architecture of the North-East.

The visit served as a platform to seek operational guidance while acknowledging the long-standing support provided by the Nigerian Army, particularly in the development of the Nigeria Customs Service Staff College and various capacity-building initiatives for personnel.

In response, the Theatre Commander, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, praised the Customs Service for its frontline role in national protection.

He maintained that the complexities of modern border control and the illegal proliferation of arms are challenges too vast for any single agency to tackle in isolation.

General Abubakar specifically highlighted porous borders as a significant factor in the circulation of small arms and light weapons that continue to impact local communities.

Reaffirming the commitment of Operation HADIN KAI to this partnership, the Theatre Commander commended the professionalism of Customs officers currently embedded within the Joint Task Force.

The meeting concluded with a symbolic exchange of souvenirs and the signing of the visitors’ register, marking a renewed chapter in joint border management.