By Godfrey Bivbere

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has said it would cement a strong collaboration with the Department of State Services, DSS, to combat smuggling and arms proliferation in Nigeria.

As part of its collaborative efforts, the acting Comptroller-General of the Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, paid a familiarisation visit to the Director-General of DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, at DSS headquarters, Abuja.

The Customs boss stressed that maintaining a mutual partnership between the two Agencies will go a long way in enhancing national security.

“I hereby extend the Nigeria Customs Service’s friendly hands to solicit your support for better service to our dear country – which will intensify border security across the country,” he said.

He also appreciated the DSS DG for availing an opportunity to some of his senior officers to take part in special courses at the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), which, according to him, “The development has broadened their capacity in discharging their constitutional duties.”

Responding, Bichi commended the Customs boss for his ‘notable’ resilience in carrying out the affairs of the Service, since his appointment.

He affirmed that “teamwork is the basis for success in the fight against insecurity as no agency can do it alone.”

Bichi further highlighted that sustaining the Customs-DSS synergy will be a game changer in the counter-threat actions across border areas, pledging that his office will continue to provide intelligence to Customs to aid their performance.