Customs Bids Farewell to ACG Babandede, Six Senior Officers After 35 Years of Service
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has retired seven senior officers in Zone A, marking the end of more than three decades of service dedicated to border protection, trade facilitation and revenue collection.
The officers were formally honoured at a retirement ceremony held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A Headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos.
The retiring officers were the Zonal Coordinator, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Mohammed Babandede; Comptroller Gambo Aliyu of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A; Comptroller Hauwa Abubakar, Customs Area Controller, Lagos Free Trade Zone Command; Comptroller Patrick Ntadi, Customs Area Controller, Western Marine Command; Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area Command; Comptroller Olushola Akingbade, Customs Area Controller, Ogun II Area Command; and Comptroller Chidi Nwokori, Customs Area Controller, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command.
Babandede, who spoke at the ceremony, expressed gratitude to God, colleagues, friends and family for their support throughout his 35-year career in the Service.
“After 35 years in the Nigeria Customs Service, I have every reason to thank Almighty Allah. We entered with two legs and we are exiting with two legs. Some were not that lucky,” he said.
He described his career as a journey marked by challenges and accomplishments, adding that he was grateful to have successfully completed his service.
Read Also:
“This journey has been a long one, with many ups and downs, but we have successfully come through it,” Babandede said.
Reflecting on his relationship with the Service, the retired ACG described the NCS as his family and said retirement would not sever his connection with the institution.
“Customs is my family. I cannot be out of Customs because this is the job I know. I have no other job apart from Customs. So, do not see me exiting as going away from my family; Customs will always remain my constituency,” he said.
The seven officers collectively spent about three and a half decades in the Service, serving in various operational, administrative and command positions before reaching retirement.
Also speaking, Nwokori, one of the retiring officers, reflected on the significance of retirement and urged serving personnel to recognise the importance of treating members of the public with respect.
He noted that every position and responsibility had a beginning and an end, urging officers to remain conscious of the temporary nature of official appointments.
Colleagues, friends and family members who attended the ceremony commended the retirees for their professionalism, leadership and commitment to the Nigeria Customs Service throughout their careers.
The ceremony also featured the presentation of gifts to the retiring officers and the cutting of a retirement cake, providing an opportunity for colleagues and loved ones to celebrate their contributions and formally bid them farewell from active service.
By PRNigeria
