The Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has launched an intensive, hands-on basic first aid training programme for its officers and men—an initiative described by the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, as “a vital investment in human life, workplace safety, and the operational strength of the Service”.
Welcoming the visiting medical specialists from the Service’s Medical Corps, Oshoba affirmed that the programme mirrors the unwavering commitment of the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, to safeguarding and empowering personnel. “This training demonstrates the priority the CGC places on staff welfare”, he said. “It is not just an event – it is a reinforcement of our responsibility to protect one another”.
He stressed that first aid competence is not optional, especially for frontline enforcement officers often deployed to high-risk operational environments. “First aid is a universal life skill every adult should have”, Oshoba noted. “For customs officers, it is even more critical. A simple, timely intervention—CPR, choking relief, bleeding control, or stroke recognition can determine whether a victim survives or suffers avoidable long-term damage.”
Highlighting the harsh realities of field operations, the CAC explained that personnel frequently work in locations where medical professionals may not be immediately accessible. “Sometimes the doctor is miles away”, he said. “In those moments, the person standing next to you becomes your emergency nurse or paramedic before help arrives”.
Oshoba urged participants to embrace the training not as a routine exercise but as a life-saving obligation. He encouraged officers already familiar with first aid to treat it as a refresher and advised newcomers to fully immerse themselves in both the theoretical and practical aspects. “Mastery comes through practice”, he emphasised. “In an emergency, confidence and competence are everything”.
He later declared the training open, describing it as “time well spent for the Command and the entire Service”.
Leading the medical training team, the Zonal Medical Officer for Zone B, Comptroller A.S. Aku, delivered a compelling session that combined demonstration and hands-on participation. Every officer was required to practice CPR, choking rescue techniques, and other fundamental emergency procedures.
In his address, Aku reminded the officers of the power they hold in crisis moments. “The truth is that when there is an emergency, you are the first responder”, he said. “What you do in the first few minutes before professional help arrives is crucial. We are here to practice the basic skills that save lives”.
He continued: “By the end of this exercise, every participant should understand the four goals of first aid, know the types of first aid and when to apply them, and be familiar with the essential techniques. Every day, we encounter situations involving our bodies, our families, or our colleagues where immediate help is needed—but often, panic gets in the way. Training like this removes that panic”.
The sessions covered CPR, bleeding control, managing gunshot wounds, handling bone and joint injuries, and other essential emergency responses.
A remarkable highlight of the programme was the official presentation of the Customs Medical Corps First Aid Manual by Aku to the Apapa CAC, Oshoba—a gesture symbolising the Command’s enhanced readiness and its strengthened culture of safety.