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Stakeholders’ Engagement: CP Giwa assures Enugu residents of improved security

 

The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Mamman Giwa, has assured residents of the state of police’s resolve to improving security through synergy with community stakeholders and other security agencies.

 

Giwa made the pledge on Thursday during a One-Day Town Hall Meeting with Security Stakeholders within Enugu Metropolis organised by the Enugu Metropolis Area Command in Enugu.

 

The engagement attracted traditional, religious, youth, students and women leaders as well as government officials.

 

The commissioner said the town hall meetings, which had been held across the other four area commands in the state, were designed to obtain feedback from residents on police performance and emerging security challenges.

 

 

He said that the exercise commenced in Udenu Area Command before moving to Nsukka, Oji River and Agbani, with the last at Enugu Metropolis Area Command, which covers about 30 police divisions.

 

“Whenever you are rendering services, there is a need for feedback.

“We want to know whether we have been doing our policing work well, where we need to improve and whether there are emerging crimes that should be brought to our attention.

“So far, from the responses of stakeholders, we are doing well, but we will continue to do better,” he assured.

Giwa assured the stakeholders that issues raised that fell outside the mandate of the police would be presented to the state government through the State Security Council.

 

According to him, the engagements have enabled the command to identify peculiar security and developmental challenges across the various area commands and divisions as well.

Giwa, however, emphasised that effective policing required collaboration with sister security agencies and members of the public.

“We cannot do it alone. Security is not the responsibility of the police alone. Looking at the strength of the police vis-à-vis the population, we cannot cover everywhere.

“We have continued to work closely with other security agencies, and the cooperation had improved tremendously. We will sustain that partnership,” he said.

Responding to kidnapping and insecurity around forest areas of the state, Giwa said the command was working closely with forest guards recruited by the Federal and Enugu State Governments.

“The command also deployed its tactical units to continuously comb and combat criminal elements in the forest areas.

He added that ongoing operations against criminals would continue, noting that operational details could not be disclosed for security reasons.

On concerns about good Samaritans assisting accident victims, Giwa assured residents that police authorities would protect anyone who rendered humanitarian assistance.

He advised such persons to promptly notify the Divisional Police Officer in the area or contact the Police Public Relations Officer whenever they encountered difficulties.

 

Earlier, stakeholders called for improved security in Akwukwe, Centenary City, Damija Under Bridge in Trans-Ekulu, Ugbo-Odogwu and other parts of the state.

The Chief Security Officer of Enugu Terminal One, Holy Ghost, Chief Chuka Nwomeh, expressed concern over the growing number of homeless children and destitute persons using the terminal as a sleeping place.

He said the group had become a security concern, adding that 17 of them had been apprehended at the terminal for various vices.

Also speaking, Mr Felix Ogugbo, a resident, highlighted the security gap between Centenary City and HELIU Estate and appealed for the restoration of the Distress Response Squad presence in the area.

He also drew attention to criminal activities around Amechi and Ugwuaji community.

Similarly, the Secretary-General of the Cattle Dealers Association, Gariki New Market, Mr Ali Ahmed, called for closer engagement between security agencies and market leaders to identify criminal elements operating within cattle market.

 

Customs LFTZ Command records N408.8bn revenue in H1 2026

 

 

 

LAGOS, July 1, 2026 (NAN)The Lagos Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service recorded N408.8 billion revenue between January and June 2026.

 

 

The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Hauwa Abubakar, disclosed this at a media briefing and stakeholders sensitisation held on Thursday in Lekki.

 

She said the command collected N408.8 billion in H1 2026, representing a N91.5 billion increase over N317.3 billion recorded in the same period in 2025, a 28.85 percent growth.

 

 

Abubakar announced June 2026 as the command’s highest monthly collection since inception, with N87.1 billion generated, reflecting growing investor confidence in the Free Trade Zone and Lekki Port.

 

 

The Controller described the unprecedented growth as deliberate, resulting from strengthened compliance, improved operational efficiency and constructive engagement with stakeholders operating within the Free Trade Zone and Lekki Deepsea Port.

 

 

He noted that sustained stakeholder engagement programmes have built mutual trust, encouraged voluntary compliance with customs laws, and created an enabling environment for legitimate trade to flourish.

 

 

The Controller commended officers and men for professionalism, integrity and diligence, saying their commitment strengthened the trading community’s confidence in the Nigeria Customs Service’s operations and service delivery.

 

 

She expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, for visionary leadership and to the Management Team for strategic guidance that enabled commands across the service to achieve remarkable performance.

 

The LFTZ customs boss said since stated that since its establishment four years ago, the command had become a model of trade facilitation, enhancing ease of doing business and boosting government revenue.

 

 

The CAC attributed the transformation to the visionary leadership of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, strategic management direction, officers’ dedication and stakeholders’ consistent cooperation within the Free Trade Zone.

 

 

He also thanked LFTZ Command officers, personnel of other formations, and units whose collaboration enhanced operational effectiveness and served as the bedrock of the Command’s remarkable achievements in revenue.

 

 

The Controller acknowledged sister security and regulatory agencies operating within the Port and Free Zones, saying inter-agency synergy has enhanced security and facilitated legitimate trade effectively.

 

Comptroller Abubakar said the command welcomed media partnership and reaffirmed commitment to revenue generation, trade facilitation, stakeholder engagement and national economic development objectives.

 

 

He thanked investors, licensed customs agents, importers, exporters and the business community for cooperation and compliance, urging them to sustain the commendable disposition for continued progress.

 

He pledged that the command would maintained an enabling environment for legitimate trade, promote global best practices, ensure compliance, and uphold transparency, professionalism and stakeholder engagement consistently.

 

The Controller said the Command would consolidate gains in H2 2026, improve service delivery, surpass targets, and thanked the media for objective reportage of Customs reforms and achievements.

 

 

In their presentations the Assistant Comptroller, K.A Yuguda, and Assistant Comptroller O.A Omekam on Customs Processing of Transire

document from modern port to bonded terminal.

 

 

They said the Nigeria Customs Service has streamlined transire processing to enable faster movement of goods from seaports to inland destinations under proper customs control and documentation procedures nationwide.

 

Officials said the electronic transire system now reduces delays, minimizes human interface, and enhances cargo tracking, thereby improving trade facilitation while strengthening revenue assurance and border security across commands.

 

 

They urged stakeholders to comply fully with transire guidelines, noting that seamless implementation would promote legitimate trade, curb diversion, and support government’s economic objectives through efficient customs administration.

 

 

The Head of Operations, Flour Mills LFTZ, Mr Olanrewaju Okunola, commended the Area Controller for recording N87.1 billion in June 2026, the highest monthly revenue in the Command’s history.

 

 

The Zone Administrator, Lekki Free Trade Zone,Mrs Bolanle Dada, described the revenue increase as a turning point, citing exceptional transparency at LFTZ and promising continued efforts to boost government revenue.

 

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday granted an application filed by former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to present evidence of her acquittal by the Southwark Crown Court, London in UK.

Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the motion on notice moved by Diezani’s lawyer, Godwin Iyinbor, which was not challenged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s counsel, Mofesomo Oyetibo, SAN.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the UK court had, on June 17, discharged and acquitted the embattled ex-minister in respect of criminal allegations of bribery brought against her.

Diezani had, in a suit filed before Justice Ekwo, sought to reclaim her forfeited assets.

In the amended originating motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023, she sued the EFCC as sole respondent.

When the case was called on Wednesday, Iyinbor and Oyetibo regularised their processes filed.

Iyinbor, therefore, sought the leave of the court to move a motion on notice which was filed on June 25.

He said the motion sought the permission to file a further/supplementary affidavit for the purpose of bringing fresh and material development with respect to Diezani’s acquittal by the UK court.

He said the application also sought an order to deem the affidavit as being properly filed.

Oyetibo acknowledged being served with the application.

The EFCC’s lawyer said the motion was intended to waste the judicial time of the court.

“They just want to bring to your lordship’s attention that the applicant has been exonerated in UK,” Oyetibo said.

But Justice Ekwo asked if he planned to oppose it or not and the lawyer said they were not objecting the application.

The judge consequently granted the motion as prayed and adjourned the matter until Oct. 6 for hearing.

The judge held that on the next adjourned date, the preliminary objection and the substantive suit shall be taken together.

NAN observes that in the 10-ground argument filed by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, Diezani said she commenced the suit challenging, among other things, the public notice issued by the EFCC for the public auction/sale of properties and/or personal effects affecting her proprietary rights.

“A major plank of the applicant’s case before this honourable court is that the respondent had sought to visit the applicant with grave proprietary consequences without conviction, without fair hearing, and without strict compliance with the relevant statutory provisions regulating forfeiture, management and disposal of properties.

The lawyer said Diezani filed her amended originating motion Feb. 19, 2025, pursuant to the leave of the court granted on Feb. 17, 2025.

“After the filing of the applicant’s processes and while this suit was still pending before this honourable court, a subsequent and material event occurred, to wit: the applicant was acquitted by the Southwark Crown Court, London, United Kingdom, on 17th June, 2026, of criminal allegations of bribery brought against her, a proceeding of obvious material relevance to the allegations repeatedly referenced in relation to the applicant.

“The said subsequent development is material and relevant to the applicant’s case, particularly as it relates to the issues of absence of conviction, fair hearing, due process, propriety of irreversible proprietary deprivation, and the need for strict compliance with statutory safeguards before disposal of properties affecting the applicant’s proprietary rights.”

He said the ex-minister did not seek by this application to invite the court to sit on appeal over the said foreign decision or to treat same as automatically conclusive of the Nigerian proceedings.

He, however, said it was to place before the court subsequent material fact which would assist the court in doing substantial justice.

According to Ozekhome, the said fact was not available at the time the applicant filed her earlier processes and could not have been pleaded or deposed to earlier.

He submitted that the court had the power and discretion to allow a party to file the application where such facts would assist the court in the just determination of the issues before it.

He said EFCC would not be prejudiced by the grant of the application.

He said it would be in the interest of justice to grant the application.