The Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) has called for sustained efforts to combat smuggling and transnational crime, stressing the importance of cooperation among security and law enforcement agencies.
 
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of LSSTF, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, made the call when the Comptroller of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Oladapo Olukayode Afeni, paid him a courtesy visit at the Fund’s office in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
 
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the two organisations to support security operations in Lagos and the wider South-West.
 
Ogunsan welcomed the proposed partnership, expressing the Fund’s readiness to explore areas of mutual interest with the NCS, particularly in providing equipment, logistics and other institutional support to strengthen security operations.

“There are a lot of things we could do together,” he said.
 
He noted that security efforts extended beyond conventional policing and military operations to include the work of agencies responsible for preventing the entry of prohibited goods, intercepting illicit consignments and enforcing laws governing the movement of goods across Nigeria’s borders.
 
According to him, Customs enforcement plays an important role in protecting lives, safeguarding public institutions and preventing criminal elements from exploiting importation channels to bring dangerous or prohibited items into the country.
 
Ogunsan illustrated the deterrent effect of Customs operations with an account of a driver who became apprehensive after spotting Customs officers on the road while travelling at high speed.
 
He said the presence of officers could discourage potential offenders and encourage compliance with the law, particularly where criminal networks sought to exploit weaknesses in enforcement.
 
Afeni thanked Ogunsan for the reception, describing the visit as an opportunity to build a stronger working relationship between the Customs and the LSSTF in pursuit of their shared security objectives.
 
He said that the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, headquartered in Lagos, was responsible for anti-smuggling operations and enforcement across the South-West.
 
Afeni expressed optimism that closer cooperation between the two organisations would strengthen efforts to tackle crimes in Lagos and neighbouring states.

“I believe we can synergise to ensure that Lagos State is free and, by extension, the entire South-West is free of crimes,” he said.

He also commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for his leadership, noting that national priorities and border security remained central to the Service’s operations.