By Abuhuraira Muhammad Aminu
T
he prime minister of England, Winston Churchill, said “We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who will harm us” it was as though he made this statement for the specific few men who dance toe to toe with danger in service to their country. And a pristine example is the Comptroller of Customs Aliyu Mohammed.
Applause for one of the most exalted officers in the Nigerian Customs Service. He has proven his valor in the face of danger in the fight against the illicit business of smuggling along the borders of Nigeria. His aggressive, bold, and fearless nature is that resembling the ancient Greek warriors “Sparta.”
Born and raised in Birnin-Kebbi, in the Local Government Area of Kebbi state on March 2, 1961, Comptroller Aliyu Mohammed studied at “Town Primary School”, Birnin Kebbi in 1974. He got accepted into “Government Secondary School”, Birnin Kebbi. He came out with his West African Senior School Certificate.
He then left for Usman Dan Fodio University in Sokoto, graduated, did the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at Abuja in 1986/1987, and enlisted into the Superintendent Cadre of the Nigeria Customs Service in 1987.
Prior to rising to the rank of Comptroller in 2015, he has worked in various branches of NCS formations and in different capacities. Kano/Jigawa Command, PTML, Port Harcourt II, Enforcement‚ Investigation and Inspection (El & l ) Headquarters, KLT and 2ic Valuation at Seme Command.
While at the Seme Command of the Nigerian Customs Service, he was the pioneer Officer-in-Charge of ACTU (Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit). He currently holds the title of acting ACG Nigeria Customs Service Zone “B”.
His track record during his time at seme border as head of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ had a monumentally positive effect with regards to the progress and fight against corruption, likewise his current status as acting ACG is praised, with illegal assets worth several billions of Naira ceased.
The operations unit zone (FOU) Zone “A” struggled to attain progress until his arrival. The same can be said for the Nigerian Customs Service, until The Director-General Retired Col. Hamid Ali was granted the position to head the organization.
Proof of Comptroller Muhammed Aliyu’s valor can be demonstrated by the ISFOP-Benin University, a bilingual institution founded in 1997 and domiciled in Cotonou, Benin Republic, who appreciated the Comptroller’s success in clearing the once violent border area, where touts wreak havoc and agitated disturbance and unrest.
Coming to seat, he brought peace to the area, and the university saw it befitting and awarded him the Honorary Doctorate Degree from lSFOP-Benin University, Cotonou, in 2018.
This shows a trans-border accomplishment where the community beyond his legal governance has attested to his hard work.
The Director-General retired Col. Hamid Ali, has also commended and awarded him on numerous occasions based on his work ethics, commitments and honesty.
One of his college mentioned,” from the offset Comptroller Mohammed Aliyu has always been a diligent officer that drew honest people around him. This has allowed him to excel in the Nigerian Customer Service in record time.”
Some of his most famous seizures include two containers of donkey hides valued at N15 billion, orchestrated by a syndicate comprising of Chinese and Nigerian so-called ‘businessmen.’
Another major burst was the transport of exotic bulletproof vehicles worth N2.2 billion, which were illegally imported. Cases of illegal drug seizures in a truckload of Codeine syrup and tramadol worth N240 million were obtained along the Oshodi expressway.
While having an interview with a radio station, he made known that, Donkeys are considered an endangered species, and part of the reason is because of the high demand from china who use their hide for manufacturing drugs.
He also mentioned to another media house, an incident of a lady who approached him with a bribe of N50m equivalent in dollars for the release of captured tramadol worth 1B Naira, both her and the suspected custom officers who facilitated her meeting with the esteemed Comptroller were handed over for further investigations at the Nigerian customs headquarters in Abuja.
By the end of the year, 2017, The operations unit zone (FOU) Zone “A” seme border recorded N6.3 billion to the federal government, confiscated 529 seizures, with Duty Paid Value of N639. 5 million and N10 billion was generated as revenue. A feat that deserves all the praise and glory that can be mustered. As this is not a job for the faint of heart.
He made this statement “if more people valued honesty and tranquility, much would have been achieved, and the world would have been a merrier place.”
One of the top smugglers along the Katsina axis, leaked that he feared meeting Comptroller Mohammed Aliyu more than he feared God’s judgment. Indeed the Comptroller’s actions have brought about fears and nightmares to all those who try to breach the laws set down by the Nigerian customs service. And as such, caused them sleepless nights and terror.
Admits concerns from those close to him. They fear the seizure of these drugs and contrabands, might instigate the kingpins running the show to bid him ill will. But this has never bothered the gallant officer. To protect, prioritize and prevail for the public interest.
Such acts are the precipice of building a greater Nigeria that we all must emulate. You will find in the words of the 26th U.S President Theodore Roosevelt, “Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering” And a name worth remembering is Comptroller Mohammed Aliyu.
Abuhuraira Muhammad Aminu is a Public Affairs Analyst.
