399 Rifles Seized at Lagos Port as Customs Warns Against Arms Imports Ahead of Elections

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over 399 rifles and other assorted arms and ammunition seized at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).

The handover took place on Monday as Customs raised concerns about the growing attempt to import firearms into the country ahead of another election season.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizure was made possible by the agency’s technology-driven risk management system.

He disclosed that the container arrived at Tin-Can Island Port on July 8 aboard the MV VELIKA and was flagged for inspection by the Customs risk management system.

According to Adeniyi, the firearm components had been dismantled and concealed in knocked-down form in an apparent attempt to evade detection.

“It was opened because our risk management system flagged it,” he said, stressing that the discovery was not based on a random inspection.

The Customs chief said the agency’s investment in technology under the Trade Modernisation Project had significantly improved its ability to identify suspicious cargo.

He said B’Odogwu now brings clearance, automated risk management, cargo tracking and non-intrusive inspection onto one platform.

“What technology gives us is the ability to know which container to open,” Adeniyi said.

He warned that Customs would not allow Nigeria’s ports or borders to become entry points for weapons capable of threatening national security.

“We will not allow the ports and borders of this country to be used to bring in arms, or anything else that threatens the safety of Nigerians,” he said.

Adeniyi further disclosed that two suspects had been arrested in connection with the shipment.

He said one of them was arrested on July 31 at a bonded terminal while attempting to procure the release of the container.

The two suspects have reportedly been remanded by the Federal High Court in Lagos, with arraignment scheduled for August 25.

The Customs boss said the seizure was particularly significant because Nigeria is battling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime.

He also warned of the potential consequences of hundreds of firearms entering circulation during an election period.

“We are also approaching another electioneering season, and I do not need to describe to this audience what several hundred firearms in the wrong hands would mean for the peace of our communities or for the conduct of our democracy,” Adeniyi said.

He maintained that the consignment never reached its intended destination because Customs systems and personnel detected it.

Adeniyi said the seizure demonstrated the importance of the agency’s technology investment, adding that Customs could not physically inspect every container entering the country.

He also warned Customs officers against assisting individuals involved in illicit arms trafficking.

“The officer who lends himself to this trade, or who uses his position to ease the passage of such goods, will find no shelter with us,” he stated.

The 399 rifles and other seized items have now been transferred to the NCCSALW under the Office of the National Security Adviser for further action.

Adeniyi said the development represented a complete enforcement chain, from interception of the weapons to the arrest of suspects and transfer of the arms to the appropriate national authority.

“The weapons were intercepted. The importers were arrested. They stand before a court of law. And the arms are being surrendered to the national authority responsible for them,” he said.

He commended Customs officers involved in the operation and reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s borders.

“Every firearm we stop before it reaches the wrong hands is a life that may have been saved,” Adeniyi said.

Note: The supplied headline says the arms were handed over to the NDLEA, but the body of the report consistently identifies the receiving agency as the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). The versions above use NCCSALW to remain consistent with the detailed facts provided.

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