Skip to main content

 Iheanacho Ernest Ojike: Leading the Charge at Kebbi State Area Command (A Perfect Example of Justice, Honesty, Integrity, and Wisdom)


The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) plays a vital role in maintaining national security, fostering economic development, and ensuring the integrity of the country’s borders. One of the most exemplary figures in the NCS is Iheanacho Ernest Ojike, the Area Commander in charge of Kebbi State. Appointed by Comptroller General Alhaji Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), Ojike has demonstrated exceptional leadership, professional acumen, and unwavering dedication to his duties. This article delves into some of his notable achievements and the significant impact he has made since assuming command.


Appointed to lead the Kebbi State Area Command, Iheanacho Ernest Ojike brought with him a wealth of experience and a commendable set of qualities and skills. Known for his physical fitness, critical thinking, sound judgment, and problem-solving abilities, Ojike has proven to be the right man for the job. His effective communication skills and fearless approach to encountering danger with firmness have earned him the respect and admiration of his peers and subordinates alike.


The interception of pangolin scales worth N3.9 billion in Duty Paid Value. Acting on actionable intelligence, the Federal Operations Unit Zone B stormed a suburb of Zuru Town in Kebbi State on May 24, 2024. The operation, which was casualty-free, resulted in the seizure of 445.45kg of pangolin scales and the arrest of a suspect involved in the smuggling ring. This success was attributed to robust intelligence sharing between the Customs Service and the Wildlife Office, highlighting the NCS’s commitment to combating the illegal trafficking of endangered species.


Under Ojike’s leadership, the Kebbi State Area Command has made numerous significant seizures of smuggled goods. These include 212 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 200 bales of secondhand clothing, and 10,025 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Other seized items include Indian hemp, Diclofenac Sodium rolls, diazepam tablets, sex enhancement drugs, expired powdered milk, used tires, foreign spaghetti, foreign sugar, and vegetable oils. The combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of these seized items is ₦126,278,959.60.


In a testament to the NCS’s role in preventing potential security threats, Ojike's team handed over 6,240 pieces of dynamite explosives, loaded on a Canter truck, to the Department of State Services officials.


Despite challenges such as border closures, the Kebbi State Area Command under Ojike’s leadership has seen significant revenue generation. The re-opening of the Kamba border as the only import/export outlet for the state has bolstered revenue prospects, primarily from auction sales of PMS and other seized goods.


Ojike’s tenure as Area Commander exemplifies justice, honesty, integrity, and wisdom. His leadership has not only strengthened the security and economic stability of Kebbi State but also reinforced the values and efficacy of the Nigerian Customs Service. Written by Daniel Okonkwo for Profile International Human Rights Advocate.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A DECADE OF SILENCE: HOW NIGERIA’S POLICE FORCE LEFT APPROXIMATELY 1,850 GRADUATE OFFICERS IN A PROLONGED PROMOTION PROCESS

 A DECADE OF SILENCE: HOW NIGERIA’S POLICE FORCE LEFT APPROXIMATELY 1,850 GRADUATE OFFICERS IN A PROLONGED PROMOTION PROCESS EXCLUSIVE REPORT By Daniel Nduka Okonkwo Tonight, while the nation sleeps, heroes in uniform stand guard, our police officers, the living shield between chaos and safety. Their courage is not a favour but a duty fulfilled with sacrifice. Ensuring that such service is matched with fair and transparent career progression remains essential to institutional integrity and morale. A duly initiated upgrading exercise in 2015 raised the expectations of nearly two thousand educated police officers. Nearly a decade later, according to available accounts and officer testimonies, the process remains unresolved, even as their peers have advanced and reform discussions continue within the sector. In June 2015, the Nigeria Police Force issued an official wireless signal to officers across commands, inviting graduate Inspectors and rank and file personnel who had acquired un...
Post a Comment
Read more

With Government Backing, Lingering Questions Remain: When Will Brekete Family Smart City Be Ready?

With Government Backing, Lingering Questions Remain: When Will Brekete Family Smart City Be Ready? By Daniel Nduka Okonkwo Real estate development, whether residential, commercial, or mixed-use, is rarely a simple undertaking. It demands structured planning, strict legal compliance, financial discipline, and consistent on-site execution. From land acquisition and project phasing to infrastructure delivery and final habitation, each stage must be carefully coordinated to translate vision into reality. The Brekete Family Smart City Estate, an ambitious private-led housing project initiated by renowned broadcaster and activist Ahmed Isa, was conceived with that same vision: to deliver a modern, inclusive, and smart urban community for ordinary Nigerians. Yet, more than a decade after subscriptions began, the project remains largely undeveloped, raising persistent questions among subscribers: when will it finally be ready? Subscriptions for the Brekete Family Smart City Estate opened betwe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Over 200 Nigerian politicians, governors, senators, security chiefs, senior civil servants, and other politically connected individuals have stashed at least $7 billion in Dubai properties across at least 1,824 traced assets, making Nigeria the second-largest source of foreign property buyers in Dubai after India

Over 200 Nigerian politicians, governors, senators, security chiefs, senior civil servants, and other politically connected individuals have stashed at least $7 billion in Dubai properties across at least 1,824 traced assets, making Nigeria the second-largest source of foreign property buyers in Dubai after India By Daniel Nduka Okonkwo The $7 billion figure is drawn from three separate documented investigations spanning more than a decade. A 2012 report established that Nigerians had invested up to $6 billion in Dubai real estate over the preceding three years alone. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, drawing on the C4ADS Sandcastles property dataset, subsequently identified 800 Dubai properties linked to Nigerian politically exposed persons, valued at approximately $400 million as of 2020. By 2024, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project’s landmark Dubai Unlocked investigation, conducted with more than 70 international media partners, had traced that figure ...
Post a Comment
Read more