NCS Mourns: Nigeria Customs Service Honours Late DCG (Rtd) Olukayode, Restates Commitment to Officers’ Welfare

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has once again demonstrated its enduring culture of solidarity, respect, and honour for its members, both serving and retired, as it paid glowing tributes to the late Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs (Rtd), High Chief Olukayode Samuel Ogundeji, during his final burial rites held on Friday, 7 November 2025, in Emure-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Reaffirming that the Service remains a family bound by shared values of duty, integrity, and mutual respect, the NCS described the late High Chief Ogundeji as a man who embodied these ideals throughout his 31-year career.

Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, the Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Training and Coordination, Olatunji Olaniyan, delivered a heartfelt tribute during the interment at the deceased’s residence, emphasising that the NCS “never forgets its own.”

“Today, the Nigeria Customs Service stands united not only to mourn but to celebrate the life of one of our finest. High Chief Olukayode Samuel Ogundeji was a man of discipline, integrity, and selfless service. He rose through the ranks with honour and retired gracefully after serving his nation with excellence.

‘’The Service will continue to remember and honour the sacrifices of officers like him who laid a solid foundation for what we are today,” he said.

ACG Olaniyan noted that from his appointment as a Customs Collector Grade II in 1976 to his rise as Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Tariff and Trade, High Chief Ogundeji exemplified professionalism and dedication that strengthened the operational integrity of the Service.

He reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to the welfare and recognition of both serving and retired officers, adding, “The Nigeria Customs Service does not forget its own. Every officer who serves with honour and dedicates their life to national duty deserves to be celebrated, even in death. They remain part of our history, our story, and our family. High Chief Ogundeji lived a life of service and set an example worthy of emulation.”

ACG Olaniyan also revealed that the families of retired and fallen officers continue to receive support and recognition, an enduring tradition that reinforces the NCS as not just an institution but a community bound by shared duty and humanity.

In his closing words, he said:
“Farewell, our beloved DCG. May your legacy continue to inspire dedication, discipline, and service across generations of Customs officers.”

Following the church service, a delegation of officers, including the Customs Area Controller of the Ondo/Ekiti Area Command, Comptroller Queen Obazee, and other senior officers, accompanied the remains of the late DCG to his final resting place.

Customs personnel rendered final honours in a poignant display of unity, respect, and enduring loyalty to one of their own, proving once again that the Service’s bond extends far beyond active duty.