Barely two days after disclosing a seizure of 844 rifles and 112,500 rounds of ammunition smuggled into Nigeria at the Onne Port, from Turkey, the Nigeria Customs Service has made another outstanding seizure of 55 pieces of semi automatic shotgun and other seizuresat the cargo section of the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos
Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi who disclosed this to reporters in Lagos on Wednesday July 3, 2024, said the seizures sends a warning to anyone considering involvement in illicit importation.
According to Adeniyi,the Service is relentless in its pursuit of securing Nigeria’s national frontiers and fostering national security. Under his leadership,adding that the Service will not condone any act that threatens this nation’s security and economic prosperity.
Giving a breakdown of the arms seizure for which a suspect was arrested, Adeniyi listed 148 pieces of drones, 172 pieces of ballistic vests, 15 pieces of ballistic plates, one piece of ballistic helmet and eight pieces of walkie talkie.
Also listed are 9,172 military and paramilitary badges , 20 pieces of carmouflage uniforms, 100 pieces of camouflage vests, 172 pieces of camouflage caps and 120 pieces of binoculars.
He also blamed some Nigerians suspected to be operating in Turkey for the unlawful importation of arms
The Customs Comptroller General gave a flashback on recent arms and ammunition seizures from other customs fornations and how the recent ones were uncovered in the course of cargo examination
Adeniyi told reporters : “You may recall that the Nigeria Customs TCIP Command recently impounded 11 rifles and 6 pistols, among other items. Similarly, just two days ago, a press briefing of this kind was held in Port Harcourt, where we showcased the seizure of 844 rifles and 112,500 rounds of ammunition.
“In a related development, we are here again to inform the public that the Murtala Muhammed Area Command, acting on credible intelligence from our local and international collaborators, on 19 June 2024, deployed its personnel to man all the exit points effectively and mandated all examination officers to conduct 100% examination of all consignments.
During the examination, an item was discovered and suspected to be part of a rifle from a console consignment with airway bill number 235-58737755, emanating from Turkey. Consequently, the entire consignment was isolated for thorough examination. At the end of the examination, it was established that 4 packages were used to conceal 55 PIECES OF UNASSEMBLED JOJEF MAGNUM (TOMAHAWK) SEMI AUTOMATIC SHOTGUN.
” The unassembled rifles were concealed using SHOWER FAUCET. The Duty Paid Value of these illicit arms is Two Hundred and Seventy Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Thousand, One Hundred and Nine Naira and Twenty-Nine Kobo (N270, 888, 109.29).
A suspect is currently in our custody in connection with this illicit arms importation and is assisting with an ongoing investigation to uncover the perpetrators of this heinous crime.
“Analysis of this and similar recent seizures indicates that some unscrupulous Nigerians based in Turkey are purchasing, packaging and exporting these illicit arms to Nigeria. Intelligence further revealed that they are exploring new frontiers to perpetrate their nefarious activities. Still, I can assure Nigerians that all our Commands are on red alert to intercept any such illicit arms importation.
“The total Duty Paid Value of all the displayed items is One Billion Five Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million Nine Hundred and Seven Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty-Six Naira and 48 Kobo (N1,568,907,386.48) only” he said
“The 55 pieces of unassembled JOJEF MAGNUM SEMI AUTOMATIC SHOTGUN are hereby seized, with the concealing items.
The items would be handed over to the Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, under the office of the National Security Adviser, for diligent investigation and prosecution.
“The Suspect arrested will be handed over to the centre for further processing; we will work diligently with other Agencies of Government to apprehend all other parties to this illicit importation.
All other controlled items imported without the requisite end-user certificates are hereby seized.
Also speaking at the event, Saidu Abba Yusuf, the Assistant Comptroller General and Zona Coordinator for Zone A, covering the South West reiterated customs commitments to suppressing smuggling, especially in his area of responsibility.
