The Nigerian Customs Service, and the Lagos State Police Command have pledged to strengthen their relationship to boost security of lives and properties in Lagos.

Controller of the Nigerian Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and the Lagos Command Comptroller Michael Awe says the synergy between the two agencies would be maintained for a better security in Lagos State.

According to Awe who paid a courtesy visit to the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Moshood Jimoh, there are quite number of areas to collaborate with the Customs.

He said he was at the command to seek for continuous synergy with the police, saying the service has seized many arms, ammunition, drugs and other prohibited items, showing the synergy in operation.

According to him, the purpose of the visit is to build synergy with the police and they cannot do the jobs alone, saying recently, within his command at MMIA in Lagos, we seized arms, ammunition, military accountriment and hard drugs.

“We were able to carried out 100 percent examination on goods as directed and the illegal items were discovered, suspect traced to Turkey and arrested.

“This can only happen through synergy by agencies,” he noted.

He said they were around to re-echo their individual collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force especially, in the fight against transborder crimes and importation of prohibitive goods respectively.

According to the customs’ boss, “As a matter of fact, our purpose of being here today is to build on our existing synergy, which we have been enjoying. And we can’t do it all alone. We can’t do it all alone. The robust synergy has to continue.

Particularly now that the issue of insecurity is coming out of the gate. Recently, within my command, we had a seizure of some military accoutrements. And most of this I stand to assist. Based on the equal eyes of my officers and men. And based on instructions that 100% examinations must be carried out. And by so doing, we were able to get those items and seize them. And not only that, we were able to trade the source to Turkey. We perpetrated those warrants and they were prosecuted and imprisoned. These are the areas which we need more synergy. Because we have just only one father, which is this country, Nigeria. And we just have to do it together.

Awe outlined the agencies’ plans to enhance collaboration through intelligence sharing, coordinated operations, and capacity-building initiatives, stressing the need for advanced strategies to counter the increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by smuggling networks.

He said smugglers are evolving in their operations, and to effectively tackle them, we must also advance our strategies. Intelligence sharing and coordinated operations are critical to our success.

Jimoh promised a synergy with the Nigerian Customs Service with a view to surpass its revenue target, saying the ease of doing business, training of personnel and we are going to ensure the synergy over time continues.

According to him, the Police are not a revenue generating agency, but they are going to give all the support to ensure the command surpassed its revenue target.

He also promised to take their partnership to the crest, adding that forming a synergy to fight against criminals in some strategic places needed is much.