Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, ACG, Frank Onyeka on Friday 22nd May, 2026, formally handed over leadership of Tincan Island Port Command to Comptroller Joe Anani in a brief but very colourful ceremony.
The change of guard followed the elevation Frank Onyeka to the prestigious rank of Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs.
In his Valedictory speech on the occasion, ACG, Frank Onyeka described the moment as both emotional and historic. He said “Serving as the Customs Area Controller of this great Command has been one of the greatest honours of my career in the Nigeria Customs Service. The journey has been challenging, rewarding, and highly impactful, made possible by the unwavering support of officers, stakeholders, and the leadership of the Service.”
Reflecting on some of the milestone achievements during his stewardship at Tincan Island Port, Onyeka attributed them to the dedication, professionalism, and commitment of officers and men of the Command.
According to him, “we were able to generate a total Revenue of N1,609,874,328,972.55 for the 2025 fiscal year, surpassing its assigned target of N1,524,669,999,478.52.
In the same vein, the Command has collected a total Revenue of N401,011,998, 443.71 for the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year. This achievement was not accidental; it was the product of discipline, intelligence-driven operations, improved compliance strategies, robust stakeholder engagement, and the deployment of modern trade facilitation mechanisms aimed at balancing enforcement with legitimate trade.
In the area of anti-smuggling and enforcement, the Command recorded significant breakthroughs, particularly in the interception and seizure of illicit drugs and other prohibited items with an estimated street value exceeding Thirty-Five Billion Naira. These seizures underscore our collective resolve to protect the nation from criminal networks and to safeguard the health, security, and future of our society. Our efforts reinforced the role of the Nigeria Customs Service as a critical national security agency committed to combating transnational organized crime.”
Based on the recognition that sustainable success in port operations requires collaboration, he revealed that the Command under his watch prioritized extensive stakeholders’ engagement, maintaining open channels of communication and strengthened partnerships with freight forwarders, terminal operators, shipping companies, importers, exporters, government agencies, and the entire trading community.
These engagements he noted significantly improved mutual understanding, operational efficiency, dispute resolution mechanisms, and overall compliance levels within the port environment.
Onyeka who expressed delight in the strides attained in capacity building as well as reaffirming his strong belief that the strength of any institution lies in the quality and preparedness of its personnel, declared “we invested heavily in human capital development, organized and facilitated several capacity-building programmes, workshops, training sessions, and professional development initiatives aimed at improving the competence, efficiency, and morale of officers and men o f the command.”
ACG Frank Onyeka equally acknowledged the Command’s support for the Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA), who’s humanitarian and family-oriented programmes continue to positively impact the welfare of officers’ families and the larger community, said he is pleased to have contributed meaningfully to the advancement of COWA initiatives during his tenure, because of his recognition of the importance of family support systems in building a motivated and productive workforce,
He expressed deep appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs and Chairman of the World Customs Organization Council, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR PhD psc (+), for his visionary leadership,confidence and unwavering support throughout his tenure, adding that CG, Bashir Adeniyi’s transformational leadership philosophy has continued to reposition the Nigeria Customs Service for greater efficiency, professionalism, transparency, and national relevance. ” I remain profoundly grateful for the opportunity given to me to serve inthis strategic Command.” He declared.
Onyeka also appreciated the management team of Tincan Island Port Command for their loyalty, professionalism, wise counsel, and tireless contributions and cooperation which made governance easier and enabled the Command to achieve its collective goals insisting that every success recorded during this period was the product of teamwork and shared commitment.
ACG, Onyeka in thanking officers and men of the Command, further said “words alone cannot adequately express my gratitude. Your discipline, resilience, sacrifices, and tremendous support throughout my tenure remain deeply appreciated. Together, we faced operational challenges with courage and determination, and together, we built a Command that continued to stand tall within the Nigeria Customs Service.”
Meanwhile expressing absolute confidence in the competence, experience, and leadership capacity of his successor, Comptroller Joe Anani, Onyeka appealed to all stakeholders, officers, partner agencies, and members of the trading community to extend the same cooperation, support and goodwill accorded him during his tenure to Anani, noting that continuity, unity, and collective support are essential for sustaining and surpassing the achievements already recorded by the Command.
Onyeka pledged to maintain open door policy in his new role as Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, assuring that he will always remain available for consultation, guidance, and support whenever the need arises.