By Gabriel Ameh
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) football team have emerged champions of the 2026 Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Football Tournament in Abuja.
Customs secured the title after defeating the National Institute for Sports (NIS) 3-0 in the final played at the Area 3 Football Pitch.
NCS captain Mikail Abubakar opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the tournament, helping him finish as the competition’s top scorer.
NIS, coached by Jibril Yussuf, attempted to respond before the break, but the Customs defence held firm to preserve the lead going into halftime.
Customs increased their advantage after the restart when Familola Fatai beat NIS goalkeeper Orban Osas to make it 2-0.
Femi Omodara then added a third goal to complete the 3-0 victory and seal the championship for the Customs side.
The result also saw NCS complete an unbeaten run in the competition, winning all five matches they played.
In the third-place fixture, the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) defeated the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) 2-0 in a repeat of last year’s final, in which NAF emerged champions.
Abubakar’s impressive campaign earned him both the Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player awards after scoring five goals.
His Customs teammate, Charles Ahur, was named Best Goalkeeper after a strong showing throughout the tournament. He also saved two penalties during the semifinal victory over NDLEA.
The NUJ FCT team received the Fair Play Award.
Chairman of the organising committee, Comrade Ndubueze Chidoka, commended all participating teams, particularly the NIS and Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), which made their debut in the competition.
He described the tournament as a competitive event that provided an opportunity for participating organisations to promote sportsmanship and interaction.
The Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, also thanked the participating teams, guests and supporters who attended the week-long competition.
Represented by her Vice Chairman, Comrade Yahaya Ndambabo, Ike commended the sportsmanship displayed by the teams, describing sports as a platform that brings people and organisations together.
Awards were also presented in recognition of contributions to sports development, including one to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adeniyi Adewale, who was represented by Deputy Comptroller-General Samuel Onikeku.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Sports, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, represented by the Institute Librarian, Dr Omoh Asenokhai, was also recognised for his contribution to sports development.
Eight teams participated in the 2026 NUJ FCT Football Tournament. They were the NUJ FCT Council, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Air Force, NDLEA, Nigeria Police Force, NTA and FCT Football Coaches Association.
