Customs Boss Nwala Rallies Police, EFCC Behind Akwa Ibom Security Push, Tours Liberty Oil and Gas
The Acting Area Controller of the Nigeria Customs Service, Cross River/Calabar Free Trade Zone/Akwa Ibom Area Command, Deputy Comptroller (DC) Nkiru Nwala, has begun a round of engagements with security agencies and key investors in Akwa Ibom State, pressing for deeper collaboration against smuggling, economic sabotage and financial crime.
According to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Yireabasi Ukpong, DC Nwala visited the Akwa Ibom State Police Command and the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). She also toured the Liberty Oil and Gas project in Ikot Abasi on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
At the Police Command, DC Nwala said the statutory duties of both agencies depend largely on intelligence sharing, operational coordination and mutual institutional support. She listed smuggling, economic sabotage and the safeguarding of critical national infrastructure as priority areas.
She said Akwa Ibom’s coastal location and commercial activity bring opportunities as well as security responsibilities. She called for stronger communication channels so that actionable intelligence is exchanged on time and emerging threats get a quick response.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, welcomed the visit. He pointed to areas of security concern in the state that need more attention from both agencies. He also affirmed the Command’s readiness to sustain collaboration on intelligence sharing, joint security interventions and the protection of lives and property.
At the EFCC, DC Nwala stressed that increasingly complex economic crimes call for intelligence-driven operations, timely information sharing and close cooperation among law enforcement bodies. She named financial crimes, smuggling and illicit financial flows as areas of concern.
The Uyo Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE I) Oshodi Johnson, urged Customs officers to be more careful on social media. He warned that fraudsters increasingly use online platforms to impersonate officers of the Service, using their names, photographs, ranks or official designations to defraud unsuspecting members of the public. He said officers’ digital conduct affects both their personal security and the institutional credibility of the Service.
In another development, DC Nwala made a familiarisation visit to Liberty Oil and Gas as part of her engagement with key enterprises in the Command’s area of responsibility. She was taken on a guided tour of the site, where she observed ongoing construction and the progress of the investment.
She described the project as massive and well positioned for future growth, noting its potential for the oil and gas sector and the wider economy. The Controller of the Oil and Gas Free Zone, Comptroller Nyong, was also touring the facility at the time.
The Command said the engagements reflect the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment, under Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, to professionalism, strong institutional partnerships and the facilitation of legitimate trade. It added that the Service remains firm against activities that undermine national security and economic interests.
