Afeni’s 10 months Idiroko tenure: Traditional rulers, youths, council chairman speak

…As Successor, Ibrahim, Faces Higher Expectations

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

When Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni handed over leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, Idiroko, on September 30, 2026, he left behind a record that his tenure would ultimately be judged by those who experienced its impact.

At the handover ceremony, Afeni invoked the words of Saint Paul to describe his departure after approximately 10 months at the border command.

Ibrahim and Afeni during the handing over ceremony

“Let me echo the words of Saint Paul in saying that ‘I have run with perseverance and have finished the race (here in Ogun I).’ Whether I have finished the race successfully or not is not for me to say. I will leave it to posterity and you all to be the judge,” he said.

Less than a month after his departure, three influential voices in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State; the council chairman, traditional institution and youth leadership have offered their assessments of his tenure.

DC Ibrahim

Their accounts highlight improved cooperation among security agencies, stronger engagement with host communities, youth participation in peacebuilding and corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects. They have also outlined expectations for his successor, Deputy Comptroller (DC) Abdulhamid A.Ibrahim, particularly on sustaining relationships with traditional rulers, local authorities and young people.

For the stakeholders, the assessment of a Customs officer stationed at a sensitive international border goes beyond revenue generation and anti-smuggling operations. It also concerns how enforcement is conducted, how security partnerships are maintained and whether host communities see tangible benefits from the presence of the federal agency.

Avoseh: A different approach to border relations

The Executive Chairman of Ipokia Local Government, Hon. Johnson Akohomeh Avoseh, said Afeni brought a fresh perspective to Customs operations in the area, particularly in relations with the Republic of Benin and local security stakeholders.

According to Avoseh, the former acting controller distinguished his tenure through improved cross-border cooperation and stronger working relationships among security agencies operating on both sides of the international boundary.

Avoseh

“Many people have occupied that post before him, but his tenure witnessed good and unprecedented cooperation with the neighbouring country,” the council chairman said.

He described the improvement in security cooperation during Afeni’s tenure as commendable, noting that agencies operating within Ipokia increasingly worked together in addressing security concerns.

The collaboration, he explained, extended beyond Nigerian security formations to include their counterparts in Benin Republic.

Avoseh also highlighted Afeni’s relationship with traditional rulers, community representatives and the local government, saying the administration helped bring host communities closer to Customs activities.

He recalled an operation in which security agencies conducted a show of force, inspected areas and identified abandoned structures that could potentially provide hiding places for criminals. According to him, the Idiroko Customs Command played a significant role by providing logistical support for the exercise.

The council chairman further praised Afeni’s engagement with the Ipokia Local Government Youth Forum, describing the interaction as useful in preventing disagreements from escalating into security challenges.

He said the Customs chief maintained contact with youth representatives and other stakeholders whenever issues threatened to disrupt peace, allowing concerns to be addressed through dialogue and coordinated action.

On community development, Avoseh commended the rehabilitation of facilities at a secondary school in the Ijofin area, noting that the project demonstrated that Customs operations could extend beyond border enforcement and revenue collection to address local needs.

However, he urged the Service to expand such interventions to other communities across Ipokia.

His advice to Afeni’s successor was clear: sustain the partnerships already established and deepen consultation with the local government, traditional rulers and community opinion leaders before selecting beneficiaries of CSR projects.

“We understand the needs of our people,” Avoseh said, arguing that local authorities could help Customs identify whether a community’s most pressing need was potable water, a renovated health facility or another essential service.

He also called for professionalism in managing relations with security agencies in Benin Republic, warning that incidents involving the two countries could attract international attention.

Addressing the perception that Ipokia residents are predominantly involved in smuggling, the chairman rejected what he described as the stigmatisation of the community.

He maintained that more than 95 per cent of residents were farmers and argued that the activities of a minority should not define the entire population.

“Our people are farmers, we are not smugglers,” he declared, adding that legitimate livelihoods and community engagement should remain central to discussions about border security.

Traditional Ruler Highlights School Rehabilitation, Riverside Jetty

For HRM Oba James Ajibola Ajani Ogbowu, Ilufemiloye Ateposun I, Opo of Idosemo, Afeni’s tenure will be remembered partly for infrastructure projects and his relationship with traditional institutions.

HRM Oba James Ogbowu

The monarch said the Customs officer achieved appreciable results despite his relatively short stay in Idiroko.

Among the interventions he highlighted was the comprehensive rehabilitation of classroom blocks and the principal’s office at Igiri High School, Ijofin, alongside the provision of new sanitary facilities intended to improve the school environment.

Giri High School

He also praised the furnishing of the rehabilitated facilities, describing the work as a welcome development for the community.

Another project singled out by the traditional ruler was the construction of a jetty at the Ijose riverside, which he said represented a significant development for the area.

“Through him, we experienced a lot of developments,” the monarch said, while praying for divine guidance and greater wisdom for Afeni in his new posting.

Oba Ogbowu also commended the former acting controller’s relationship with traditional rulers, noting that he had made efforts to maintain periodic engagement with the traditional institution.

He recalled that during an earlier visit by Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the need for regular meetings between Customs officials and traditional rulers had been raised.

According to the monarch, Afeni held meetings with traditional rulers on approximately two occasions before his departure.

While acknowledging these efforts, he urged the incoming controller to give host communities greater consideration in the benefits associated with Customs operations.

The monarch argued that communities contributing to the environment in which Customs generates federal revenue should not be overlooked when development opportunities are considered.

He also expressed the traditional institution’s willingness to maintain engagement with the new leadership, noting that Afeni had appealed to community leaders during his handover to continue supporting the Command.

Youth Leader Gives Afeni 100 Per cent Pass Mark

The President of the Ipokia Local Government Youth Forum, Architect Comrade Deji Imoleayo Mawutin, offered one of the strongest endorsements of Afeni’s tenure, particularly regarding relations between Customs personnel and host communities.

Comrade Mawutin

Mawutin said the relationship between Customs officers and residents had improved, pointing to the absence of major controversies between the two sides during the period under review.

“In the past, we used to witness men of Customs and the community in controversy and chaos, but during the tenure of Comptroller Femi, such did not happen at all,” he said, referring to Afeni’s tenure.

He attributed the improvement to the professionalism of personnel under the former acting controller and the emphasis placed on engagement with the community.

On CSR, the youth leader cited the activities in Ijofin, a football competition organised to promote unity and peace, and assistance provided towards improving a deteriorated section of the old Baggage Road.

According to Mawutin, the youth forum had written to the Command seeking assistance for the road, after which Afeni provided 100 tonnes of stone for the intervention.

He said such gestures helped strengthen goodwill between the Service and residents, adding that peace and mutual respect were essential to effective Customs operations.

Compt. Afeni

“If I am to be sincere, I will give him 100 per cent pass mark in his performances. He was exceptional,” Mawutin said.

The youth leader also rejected suggestions that cordial relations between Customs and young people amounted to collusion to conceal smuggling activities.

He maintained that Afeni enforced federal anti-smuggling laws while engaging young people and encouraging them to pursue legitimate livelihoods.

According to him, roads in the area remained free of congestion throughout the period, and the community did not have to convene emergency meetings over major Customs-related security controversies involving loss of life.

Mawutin said the youth forum opposed smuggling and would not support any Customs officer found aiding or abetting the illegal activity.

He urged the incoming controller to meet community stakeholders, review the records of his predecessor’s engagements and sustain the existing approach to peacebuilding, professional enforcement and community development.

The challenge of sustaining the gains

Taken together, the assessments by the council chairman, traditional ruler and youth leader present a picture of a tenure whose community-facing legacy rested on three broad pillars: cooperation among security agencies, engagement with local stakeholders and development interventions.

Their commendations, however, also carry expectations that extend beyond the personality of one officer.

For Afeni’s successor, the challenge will be to maintain constructive relations with the local government, traditional institutions and youth organisations while ensuring that the Command continues to discharge its statutory responsibilities.

The stakeholders want regular consultations, more targeted CSR interventions and sustained cooperation with security agencies in both Nigeria and Benin Republic. They also expect the incoming leadership to recognise the specific needs of border communities when planning development projects.

Afeni himself left the final verdict on his performance to posterity.

The accounts of these three community leaders offer an early assessment of that legacy. Whether the relationships and initiatives they described will endure under the new leadership will depend on continuity, institutional commitment and the ability to balance effective enforcement with the legitimate interests of host communities.

At Idiroko, the next chapter will be measured not only by Customs revenue and seizures, but also by the stability of the border, the trust of residents and the sustainability of the partnerships built during Afeni’s tenure.