Customs Police Unit Clinch Football Glory at NCS Zone A Inter-Command Games
The Customs Police Unit are champions of the football event at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Zone A Inter-Command Games, defeating the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command 1-0 in a keenly fought final.
A first-half strike proved decisive, with the Unit holding firm defensively through the second half to see out the result and secure the trophy amid jubilant scenes from players and supporters. The triumph capped a tournament defined by fitness, teamwork, and camaraderie among officers.
The football final was the centrepiece of the wider Zone A Inter-Command Games, which brought together 16 teams from regional Customs commands to compete across four disciplines: football, chess, badminton, and table tennis. The event ran from August 17 to September 5, 2026, at the Customs Training College in Ikeja, Lagos, under the theme “Fit to Serve, United to Lead.”
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi commended the Zone A leadership and organisers for putting together a colourful and high-quality tournament, describing it as a reflection of his administration’s core pillars of consolidation, collaboration, and innovation.
Adeniyi noted that the participation of sister agencies, including the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, highlighted the strength of interagency partnership in safeguarding national security. He singled out the parade of participating commands as a highlight of the event, praising the creativity of their outfits and presentation.
The Comptroller-General also called for the competition to be revived and expanded beyond the zonal level, pointing out that past Customs zonal games had historically paved the way for inter-zonal competitions.
He stressed the need to upgrade sports infrastructure, particularly training facilities, across Customs formations, citing the Service’s long history of contributing to sports development in Nigeria.
According to him, Customs already fields teams and athletes competing in disciplines such as volleyball, basketball, football, beach volleyball, and athletics, making better facilities essential for officers to nurture and showcase their talents.
Adeniyi disclosed that the planned new site for the Customs Training College in Ogun State would incorporate modern sporting facilities, while temporary arrangements would be made at the current college in the interim to cater for recruits.
Beyond the medals and trophies, the CGC urged officers to internalise the core values that competitive sport instils.
“The virtues of discipline, teamwork, and strategy are the most vital takeaways from a competition like this,” he said, adding that these same qualities underpin Customs operations, with discipline driving patrol missions, teamwork enabling seamless collaboration, and strategy proving essential to meeting revenue targets.
Earlier at the event, Assistant Comptroller-General Mohammed Babandede, Zonal Coordinator for Zone A, thanked the Comptroller-General for approving the games, stressing that the event would not have held without his executive backing.
He also commended the organising committee for its hard work in delivering a successful tournament that united diverse commands.
Babandede reminded participants that beyond the final scorelines, every officer who took part emerged a winner, urging them to draw on the experience to fuel their growth, strive for excellence, and return stronger in future editions of the competition.
