Customs hands over 399 rifles, 535 Firearm Components to ‘small arms control center’

By Adebola Muili

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over 399 fully assembled Jojef pump-action rifles and 535 firearm components seized at the Tincan Island Port, Lagos, to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).

The handover took place on Monday, August 17, 2026, as part of efforts by security agencies to curb the proliferation of illicit arms and prevent them from reaching criminal networks across the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, described the seizure as a major security intervention, noting that the firearms were intercepted after the consignment was flagged by the Service’s risk-management system.

The container, which arrived at the port aboard MV Velika on July 8, 2026, was subjected to further examination after being identified for scrutiny by the Customs risk-management system.

According to Adeniyi, Customs officers discovered that the firearms had been dismantled and concealed inside the container in an apparent attempt to evade routine cargo checks.

Following detailed examination and reconstruction, the officers recovered 399 fully assembled rifles and 535 firearm components, including frames, charging handles, trigger groups and locking blocks.

Adeniyi said the seizure underscored the importance of technology and intelligence in securing Nigeria’s ports, stressing that Customs could not physically examine every container entering the country.

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

The Customs boss disclosed that investigation into the consignment had gone beyond the seizure, with efforts ongoing to establish the intended destination of the weapons and identify other persons connected to the shipment.

He said two suspects, Robert Eze and Ejiogu Godson, had been arrested in connection with the consignment, adding that one of them was apprehended on July 31 at the Bond Terminal while allegedly attempting to secure the release of the container.

The suspects, he added, had reportedly been remanded by the Federal High Court in Lagos as investigations continue.

Adeniyi, however, cautioned against reaching premature conclusions on the suspects, saying investigators were still working to uncover the wider network behind the shipment.

“This, therefore, is not an incident. This is a case, and every link inside of it,” he said.

He also warned Customs personnel against facilitating the movement of illicit arms, stressing that any officer who abused his or her position to assist arms traffickers would not receive the protection of the Service.

Receiving the seized weapons on behalf of the NCCSALW, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, commended the Customs Service for the interception, describing the handover as another significant step in the fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

Kokumo said illicit arms continued to fuel terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and other violent crimes in the country.

He disclosed that the Centre had so far recovered more than 21,000 small arms and light weapons, out of which over 19,000 had been destroyed since its establishment.

He assured that the firearms handed over by Customs would be properly accounted for and managed in accordance with Nigerian laws and international best practices.

Kokumo also called for stronger intelligence sharing and closer cooperation among security and law-enforcement agencies, stressing that the fight against illegal arms trafficking could not be won by a single agency.

Meanwhile, the Tincan Island Port Command also intercepted illicit cannabis-infused products concealed among other imported goods in 240 water containers.

The consignment, according to Customs, comprised Delta-8 cannabis-infused pre-rolled products, gummies and cookies with an estimated street value of ₦373.8 million.

Adeniyi said the valuation and inventory of the seized products had been completed and that the items would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and necessary action.

Earlier, the Customs Area Controller, Tincan Island Port Command, J.A. Anani, described the handover as a demonstration of the shared responsibility of security agencies in protecting the country.

Anani stressed that effective border management went beyond seizure operations, requiring sustained cooperation among Customs, security agencies and regulatory institutions.

For Adeniyi, the significance of the operation extended beyond the number of rifles recovered, saying every firearm intercepted before reaching criminal hands represented a potential life saved.

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

He assured that the NCS would continue to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve its risk-management systems and deepen collaboration with sister agencies to prevent Nigeria’s ports and borders from becoming channels for illicit weapons and dangerous substances.