By Julius Peter, Abuja
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone ‘B’, has bid farewell to six senior officers who retired after 35 years of active and dedicated service to the nation.
The retirees were honoured at a valedictory and send-off ceremony held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in Kaduna, where colleagues, family members and senior officers of the Service gathered to celebrate their decades of commitment, leadership and sacrifice.
The officers who bowed out of service after completing their statutory 35-year careers are Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs (ACG) Nsikan Umoh, Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘B’; Comptroller Innocent Anavhe, Enforcement, Zone ‘B’; Comptroller Ofonime Ido, Zonal Headquarters, Zone ‘B’; Comptroller Isah Aliyu, Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command; Comptroller Victoria Aliboh, FCT-Abuja Area Command; and Comptroller Mohammed Umar, Niger/Kogi Area Command.
The ceremony provided an opportunity for officers and colleagues to reflect on the contributions of the retirees to the Nigeria Customs Service and the wider development of the country’s customs administration.
Throughout their careers, the six officers served in different commands and capacities across the country, taking on responsibilities in enforcement, administration, coordination and other critical aspects of customs operations.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Customs Area Controller of Kaduna Command, Comptroller Sa’ad Hassan, paid tribute to the retirees, describing their departure as the end of an important chapter in their professional lives.
Hassan highlighted the personal and professional relationships developed with the retiring officers over the years, noting the value of their experience, dedication and contributions to the Service.
He wished the retirees success, good health and safety as they begin a new phase of life outside active service.
Also speaking on behalf of officers of the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, the Acting Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Usman Adamu, offered prayers for the retirees, asking for continued good health, renewed purpose and a fulfilling retirement.
Adamu commended the officers for their years of service and sacrifice, while acknowledging the wealth of experience they accumulated during their long careers in the Nigeria Customs Service.
Responding on behalf of the retiring officers, ACG Nsikan Umoh expressed appreciation to the leadership and personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service for the support and camaraderie extended to them throughout their careers.
Umoh particularly acknowledged the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and expressed gratitude to God for enabling the six officers to successfully complete their 35 years of service.
According to him, serving the nation through the Nigeria Customs Service for three and a half decades was both a privilege and an honour.
“Serving this nation for three and a half decades has been the greatest honour of our lives. We step down today confident that the Nigeria Customs Service is in capable hands to carry the torch forward,” Umoh said.
The retired ACG noted that leaving active service was an emotional transition after spending most of their professional lives contributing to the operations and development of the Service.
He, however, expressed confidence in the ability of serving officers to sustain and advance the progress recorded by the NCS.
Umoh said the retirees were leaving behind a stronger and more resilient customs framework, shaped in part by the experiences, responsibilities and lessons accumulated during their three and a half decades of public service.
He expressed optimism that the next generation of Customs officers would continue to uphold the values of professionalism, discipline, integrity and dedication required in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The ceremony also underscored the importance of recognising public servants who devote significant portions of their working lives to national service.
For the six retirees, the occasion marked the conclusion of a 35-year professional journey within the Nigeria Customs Service and the beginning of a new chapter beyond active duty.
Colleagues described their departure as both a moment of celebration and reflection, while wishing them well in their future endeavours.
The NCS leadership and officers present at the ceremony also expressed appreciation for the retirees’ years of service, leadership and contributions to the Service, while urging them to remain connected to the values and institutional traditions they helped to strengthen during their careers.
