The Ag. Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi has charged officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to apply tactical measures in dealing with citizens before using firearms.
Adeniyi said the use of firearms should only be applied in extreme circumstances that require self defense.
The Customs boss said this to senior customs officials when he opened a sensitisation workshop on the practical implementation of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 for Comptrollers and Assistant Legal Advisers at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College Gwagwalada, Abuja.
“We must not, in any circumstance, use firearms except we have an absolute necessity for using it. The citizens of this country are there for us to protect,” he said.
He stressed that the core mandate of the NCS is saving and protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians, adding that the bridge upon which service is built is to be just and honest to the citizens.
He said when the new Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 is properly implemented, it will improve the proficiency of the officials.
Adeniyi said the new law grants enormous powers to the Nigeria Customs Service to issue out sanctions to discourage criminals from violating Customs laws but there are limitations and obligations that require the officers to exercise good strategies in implementing those powers.
“We need to create a better environment for trade facilitation, more friendly business and port environments,” he added.