The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has officially handed over 1,599 assorted arms and 2,298 live cartridges, seized during operations in 2024, to the National Centre for Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). The handover ceremony, held yesterday, marks a significant step in the country’s ongoing efforts to curb the proliferation of illicit arms.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Comptroller General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, emphasized the critical role of intelligence-driven interventions in safeguarding national security, particularly in light of rising insecurity from armed banditry in the Northwest and the spread of illegal arms in the Southeast.
Adeniyi revealed that 11 suspects connected to the arms trafficking network were also handed over for further investigation and possible prosecution.
“The Nigeria Customs Service has reinforced its core mandate of protecting our national borders through targeted anti-smuggling operations and precise intelligence-driven interventions,” Adeniyi said. “Our track record in intercepting illegal arms and ammunition underscores our frontline role in maintaining national security.”
Recalled that major breakthrough came in May 2018, when Customs intercepted 440 pump-action rifles concealed in 516 bags of Plaster of Paris (POP) cement. The rifles were hidden in a 20-foot container at the Tin Can Island Port. Subsequent investigations led to the discovery of two additional containers (CMAU 189817/8 and GESU 255208/1) similarly packed with arms hidden among sanitary wares.
“Today’s handover encompasses these seizures, culminating in the recovery of 1,599 arms and 2,298 live cartridges,” Adeniyi stated.
The Customs boss highlighted the sophisticated investigative techniques employed, including forensic analysis of shipping records and collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to trace the illicit shipments to a Turkish company. Legal action was subsequently pursued through the Office of the Attorney General, resulting in prosecutions at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
He said:”Through strategic inter-agency cooperation, we have successfully disrupted these smuggling operations. Our resolve remains firm: the Service will spare no effort in dismantling such networks.”
Adeniyi also disclosed ongoing investigations into recent arms seizures at the Onne Port, where similar concealment methods were detected.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, who was represented by Mr. Johnson Kokumo, commended the collaborative efforts between Customs and other arms-bearing agencies.
Kokumo, who is as the Director General of the NCCSALW, reiterated the government’s commitment to preventing the circulation of illicit arms.
“This synergy between Customs and the National Centre underscores the importance of collective action in the fight against illegal arms trafficking. We will continue to work with international and domestic partners to ensure these weapons are permanently removed from circulation,” Kokumo said.
The handover underscores Nigeria’s intensified efforts to combat arms smuggling, as security agencies strengthen their operations to address rising security challenges across the country.
