Effectiveness of Nigeria Custom Service in Using Road Transportation System in Controlling Smuggling in Southwest Nigeria

The study examined the effectiveness of Nigeria custom service in using road transportation system in controlling smuggling in southwest Nigeria. It aimed to identify the road transport capacity of Nigeria custom service in controlling smuggling and examines the factors hindering Nigeria custom service’s road transport system in controlling smuggling. The work was carried out in southwest Nigeria. The border towns of the state are of focus for the study Systematic sampling technique and incidental sampling technique were employed to collect data needed for the study. In the same vain, four hundred (400) respondents were selected. Primary data was used through questionnaire administration The research work adopted descriptively. Findings revealed that Nigeria Custom Service’s transportation system was safe, of high speed, high fuel tank capacity and plied terrible roads. Furthermore, rate of response to smuggling activities by security agencies was low. Smuggling occurrence is high which agree with Femi, et al., (2019), rate of truncated smuggling is high while technical device adopted by security agencies are useful. Further analysis identified: inadequate number of vehicle availability for anti-smuggling activities, the state of route plied is smuggling friendly, vehicle maintenance cost is high, route support smuggling, cost of fuel is high, special vehicle are needed is scarce, illegal routes are numerous and number of signal post for anti-smuggling activities are not adequate, as factors hindering road transportation of Nigeria Custom Service. Against the findings of the research exercise, the study recommends that better surveillance technology and high-speed vehicle alongside helicopter service be made available to custom service. This will enhance Nigeria Custom service response rate to smuggling activities in the border towns of southwest Nigeria. More financial resource be made available for the Nigeria Custom service operation and corruption be abrogated