Following the enhancement of the Nigerian Customs Service’ (NCS) fire power, the Nigerian Army yesterday certified 62 of their personnel fit to handle AK47 rifle.
The cerification was after a four weeks course weapon handling, armoury management and physical fitness conducted at the 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army in Lagos.
Of the 62 NCS personnel drafted from the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Command, Apapa, to be the first batch of personnel to handle the AK47 rifle, four were women.
Commending the NCS for ensuring professional competence among its men, the 9 Brigade Commander, Gen. Bulama Biu expressed confidence that the graduands were better prepared to tackle smugglers.
He said: ”We were tasked by the Army headquarters to conduct a four-week training cadre for the NCS personnel in line with the Comptroller General’s drive to re-proffessionalise the NCS for optimal service delivery, as well as the Chief of Army Staff’s vision to assist and cooperate with other security agencies.
”You are aware that the country and the world at large is currently undergoing numerous dimensions of security and economic challenges.
”As government agency charged with the responsibility of revenue generation and anti-smuggling, it is expedient that you sharpen your skills at all times in order to be better prepared for likely enforcement of the law.
”To this end, the trainees went through series of physical fitness regimes which included trainning on the obstacles crossing course amongst other fitness drills.”
In his remark, the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Commodore Abraham Adaji urged them to be disciplined.
Adaji who was the special guest at the event expressed satisfaction on the spirit of sportsmanship among the security agencies.
“I am sure that with the training gathered in the last four weeks, the graduands are better prepared to take on their task in combating smugglers and in doing so, they have learnt how to stay safe.
“That thus training was conducted at the 9 Brigade is testimony of the growing cooperation among security agencies, which is not only in the area of training but also during operations,” he said.
In his address, NCS’ Controller General, Hameed Ali urged the graduands to effectively utilise knowledge gained for the good of the nation.
Ali who was represented by Customs Zone A Coordinator, Charles Edike said: ”The training given here will be seriously put to use. There has been a very strong synergy between the Customs and the Navy and that has resulted to alot of seizures around the Zone A on monthly basis.
“There are many creeks on the zone. And even if you line up all the NCS men, they cannot cover all the areas. That is where the navy comes in handy. They go to the sea and they see those vessels that do not come to port. So, whenever they see them, they contact us,” he said.
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