The proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing security challenges, fuelling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes across the country. While public attention is often focused on those behind these crimes, far less visible are the sustained efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to prevent illegal arms from entering the country through illicit channels. Through intelligence-led operations, strategic interceptions and collaboration with other security agencies, the Service has emerged as a critical line of defence against the illegal arms trade. Maria Yusuf and Elizabeth Toyon report.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has continued to reinforce its role as one of the country’s frontline security agencies with the interception of a container concealing components of pump-action rifles at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, in what is regarded as another major fight against illegal arms trafficking and transnational organised crime.
The operation, which also led to the seizure of cannabis infused products with a combined estimated street value of ₦373,802,640, highlights the growing sophistication of criminal syndicates exploiting legitimate trade channels to smuggle prohibited arms and narcotics into the country through the nation’s seaports.
Disclosing the seizures during a press briefing in on August 5, 2026, in Lagos the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the operation reflected the Service’s determination to prevent Nigeria’s ports from becoming gateways for the importation of illegal weapons, illicit drugs and other prohibited items capable of threatening national security.
According to the CGC, the interception of the firearm components followed an intelligence led operation after Container No. TEMU 184536/9, which arrived aboard MV VELIKA on July 8, 2026, was flagged by the Service’s risk management system for detailed examination. The container was subsequently moved to the Customs Enforcement Station, where officers conducted a comprehensive physical examination that uncovered concealed wooden crates containing knocked-down 140 JoJeff pump-action rifles.
Rather than importing fully assembled firearms, the concealment of dismantled rifle components points to an evolving strategy by arms traffickers seeking to evade border controls while taking advantage of increasing volumes of international cargo moving through Nigerian ports. The discovery further underscores the importance of intelligence gathering, cargo profiling and non-intrusive inspection techniques in identifying high-risk consignments before they enter the domestic market.
Adeniyi disclosed that investigations into the shipment did not end with the interception of the container. Acting on intelligence generated during the investigation, Customs operatives arrested a suspect on July 31, 2026, at the Migfo Bonded Terminal, where he allegedly attempted to facilitate the release of the container. Preliminary investigations involving documentary evidence, financial records and telecommunications analysis established links between the suspect and the named consignee, including a ₦10,000 payment traced to a company account associated with the consignee on the day of the arrest.
He further revealed that two suspects are currently in Customs custody assisting investigators, while another principal suspect remains at large and is being actively tracked by security agencies as efforts continue to dismantle the network behind the attempted importation.
Beyond the seizure of the concealed rifle components, the operation also exposed another dimension of organised smuggling. In a separate operation, Customs officers intercepted two 40-foot containers loaded with cannabis-infused products concealed among legitimate imports, including used vehicles, pumping generators, polypropylene spunbond fabric, tubular batteries and thunder arrester cables.
The seizures comprised 109 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused pre-roll cookies containing 8,720 pieces weighing 17.44 kilogrammes and valued at ₦308.7 million, 125 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused gummies comprising 740 packs weighing 515.2 kilogrammes valued at ₦40.7 million, and 73 cartons of cannabis-infused cookies containing 442 packs weighing 309.4 kilogrammes valued at ₦24.3 million. Together, the illicit substances were estimated to have a street value of ₦373,802,640, making the operation one of the most significant anti-smuggling interceptions recorded by the Service in recent months.
Describing the seizures as evidence of the growing sophistication of international criminal syndicates, Adeniyi said the success of the operations was driven by intelligence led enforcement, enhanced risk profiling and sustained collaboration with other security agencies. He noted that the Nigeria Customs Service would continue to identify, arrest and prosecute individuals involved in the illegal importation of arms, narcotics and other prohibited goods, while intensifying measures to ensure that the nation’s ports do not serve as safe havens for transnational criminal networks.
The Port and Terminal Multi-Services Limited (PTML) Command of the Service handed over seized arms and ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), reaffirming its commitment to combating smuggling and strengthening inter-agency collaboration.
The handover ceremony, held at the PTML Command on 30 January, 2026, was conducted by the Command’s former Customs Area Controller, Joe Anani, who said the action underscored the Service’s resolve to prevent prohibited items from entering the country and to ensure that only legitimate trade thrives within Nigeria’s borders.
Anani explained that the handover was carried out with the approval of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, under whose leadership the seizures were made.
The seized items included five pistols of different makes, one Crossman Pump Master rifle, 132 rounds of Remington live cartridges, 51 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition, four 9mm magazines, 40 assorted 9mm NIM FC 30-30 blank and hollow ammunition, as well as 118 pieces of 9mm empty shells.
According to Anani, the arms and ammunition were uncovered on 25 different occasions during the examination of imported vehicles between 2022 and 2025. He attributed the successful interceptions to the collective diligence of officers of the PTML Command and other sister agencies operating at the port.
Anani warned that the PTML Command remained a “no-go area” for unlawful trade under any guise, stressing that the command was committed to the full implementation of the Revised Kyoto Convention, a World Customs Organisation (WCO) instrument aimed at facilitating legitimate trade while ensuring effective border controls.
He formally handed over the seized arms and ammunition to the NCCSALW for further investigation and appropriate action, in line with existing regulations.
“As a command, we have an unshaken commitment to implement the Revised Kyoto Convention, which is a World Customs Organisation (WCO) instrument for trade facilitation while using available manpower and technology to exercise the required control for import and export trade.
“Under the NCS Modernisation Project, which began in this command, the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS) also known as B’Odogwu has raised the bar of our productivity. I am pleased to announce that this command will receive scanners soon as part of the modernisation project and our capacity to detect concealments, like these arms and ammunition would be greatly enhanced.”, he said.
The Nigeria Customs Service handed over a total of 1599 arms and 2298 rounds of ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons(NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Adeniyi, who performed the handover in Lagos, said the event symbolises customs commitment to rid Nigeria of illicit weapons being brought in by smugglers.
Adeniyi recalled that the arms and ammunition were seized at various points by officers of the service in various commands
In his remarks,the Director General of thr NCCSALW, Johnson Kokumo commended the customs and the entire 16 arms bearing organisation.
Kokumo a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police recalled the arms-bust of July 2024 when the Nigeria Customs Service intercepted 844 rifles and 112,500 rounds of live ammunition at Onne, Port Harcourt in Rivers State.
He added that the recovered weapons were promptly handed over to the National Centre, and importantly, suspects including the principal suspect, Ali Samson Ofoma, along with nine accomplices (Okechukwu Gabriel Charles, Kingsley Mbibi, and Akinkuade Mayowa Segun among others) were subsequently arrested in Abuja and are now facing prosecution.
” Their apprehension underscores the critical role of our coordinated efforts and reinforces why it is imperative for agencies to continue channeling intercepted arms to the Centre” he added
“Within a short period after assuming office, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR (Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces), signed the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act 2024 into law on 4 June 2024. This swift legislative action underscores the President’s unwavering commitment to ensuring peace and tranquility in Nigeria and demonstrates the premium he places on national security for all Nigerians.
“I would also like to emphasise that the Centre’s mandate extends far beyond merely receiving illegally acquired arms. As the leading organization for controlling the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons in Nigeria, the National Centre implements and supervises strategies and policies, collaborates with law enforcement and international bodies. (including ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN), manages a national database of weapons, and secures recovered arms. Additionally, the Centre serves as the custodian of other categories of weapons-including obsolete stockpiles held by various arms-bearing agencies-which, no longer serving any operational purposes “
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, announced the interception of arms, ammunition, and industrial grade drones with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦377,110,800.00.
This was disclosed by the former Area Controller of the Unit, Mohammed Shuaibu during a press briefing at Ikeja on 2nd September, 2025.
Shuaibu said that the seizures were made during two coordinated operations in Ogun and Ondo States, as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle smuggling networks threatening Nigeria’s internal security.
According to him, the first interception occurred at the early hours of Thursday, 7th August 2025, when operatives acting on credible intelligence stopped a Nissan Almera vehicle attempting to pass through bush paths in Ilara, Ogun State. The driver and passenger fled on sighting the Customs patrol team, abandoning the vehicle.
He said a thorough inspection of the vehicle revealed a disturbing haul: 15 rifles, 14 used JOJEF Magnum semi-automatic rifles and one Mossberg pump-action shotgun, alongside 4,891 rounds of live ammunition. The weapons were cleverly hidden among bales of secondhand clothing and cartons of Danu Spaghetti, indicating an attempt to evade detection through deceptive concealment techniques.
Shuiabu said just two days later, on Friday, 9th August 2025, another patrol team operating along the Akure–Ore axis in Ondo State intercepted a Volkswagen Sprinter bus suspected of transporting unapproved equipment. Upon inspection, two industrial drones were discovered, hidden inside a wooden box, with no supporting documents such as import permits or End User Certificates as required by law. One suspect was arrested at the scene.
He stressed that the importation of arms, ammunition, and drones of this nature requires valid regulatory approval, including an End User Certificate issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). He added that failure to comply with these legal requirements is a deliberate affront to national security and will be met with swift and decisive enforcement action.
As part of established inter-agency collaboration, Comptroller Shuaibu confirmed that the seized arms and ammunition would be formally handed over to the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General of the NCCSALW, CP Alamutua Bido (Rtd), the South West Zonal Director of the agency, commended the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi for his relentless efforts in curbing smuggling and illicit importation into the country . He described the operation as a strong indication of their collective resolve to eliminate arms trafficking and urged smugglers to abandon their unlawful trade or face the full weight of the law. He also appealed for sustained collaboration between both agencies.
NCS announced the seizure of 16 containers laden with contraband, including arms, drugs, expired pharmaceuticals, counterfeit goods, and banned food items, with a total duty paid value exceeding ₦10 billion.
This was disclosed by the CGC during a press briefing held at the Apapa Port in Lagos on 11th August ,2025.
According to the Customs Boss, among the seized shipments, were containers with the numbers MRSU6407089, OERU4243517, FBIU5507953, ZZSU7277511, and two additional 40-foot containers that arrived just a day before the briefing, found to contain codeine-based products. One of the containers, MRSU6407089, was initially declared clean but later found through intelligence and scanning to contain 101 kilograms of Colorado Loud, a synthetic cannabis imported from Canada. Alongside the narcotics, Customs also recovered two pump-action rifles, 25 cartridges, a Smith & Wesson pistol, 55 rounds of ammunition, and other arms accessories.
Adeniyi revealed that total of five arrests were made in connection with these seizures and three suspects have been formally charged and are currently remanded in Ikoyi Prisons, while two others remain on administrative bail pending prosecution.
He also disclosed that the container was consigned to an individual identified as Mr. Babatunde Ogidioglu with a Lagos address and intelligence gathered so far suggests a coordinated operation by transnational smuggling networks and investigations are ongoing to establish culpability and dismantle the criminal syndicates involved.
The CGC also said that these seizures justify the Service’s firm stance on restricting pharmaceutical imports to the ports, rather than allowing their transfer to bonded terminals many of which have failed to meet security and compliance standards. He reteirated the Service position in increasing its deployment of non-intrusive inspection technologies, especially scanners, and will deepen cooperation with agencies like NAFDAC, NDLEA, and international customs bodies to ensure Nigeria is not turned into a hub for illicit importers.
While the Service remains responsible for trade facilitation and revenue generation, its increasing success in intercepting illegal arms and other prohibited imports demonstrates its growing contribution to national security and the ongoing effort to disrupt criminal supply chains before they reach Nigerian communities
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