... Hands over to NCCSALW
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted another consignment of 204 pump-action rifles concealed among declared used household goods at the Tin Can Island Port, bringing the total number of pump-action rifles seized by the Service at the port to 603 within one month.
The latest seizure came barely three weeks after Customs intercepted a consignment of knocked-down firearm components at the same port, which were subsequently assembled into 399 pump- action rifles.
Speaking at a press briefing at the Tin Can Island Port on Monday, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, DCG Timi Bomodi, said the latest interception followed credible intelligence that prompted a 100 per cent physical examination of the container.
Bomodi said the 20-foot container, numbered TEMU 184536/9, arrived from Turkey aboard the vessel MV Algeciras Express on August 16, 2026, and was flagged for examination on August 18.
According to him, a thorough examination of the container revealed knocked-down firearm components concealed among declared used goods, including furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergent.
“The Command immediately put together a team of experts from the Nigeria Customs Service Armament Unit and that of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Lights weapons, under the Office of the National Security Adviser, to carry out the assembling of these component parts and a total of 204 MAS 49 ALTER MAGNUM pump-action rifles alongside various numbers of left-over components were uncovered, ” he said.
The leftover components, he disclosed, included 39 trigger pins, 58 locking lugs, 53 charging handles, 55 pistol-grip screws, 56 springs, 56 trigger groups, 38 forward grips or hand guards, 67 forward-grip latches, 56 pistol grips, 54 barrels and two U-plates.
He added that further discrepancies were discovered in the consignment documents, particularly concerning the identity of the consignee, noting that the discrepancies formed part of an ongoing investigation into the shipment and persons connected to it.
Bomodi described the interception as another indication that the Customs Service had sustained heightened surveillance and intelligence-led enforcement against the illicit movement of firearms through Nigeria’s ports and borders.
He said the seized weapons and components had been secured and documented before being formally handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons for appropriate statutory action.
“This operation underscores the importance of intelligence-sharing and collaboration between the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies. This whole of Government approach to the menace of Arms smuggling and other criminal activities at our ports and borders has proven to be very effective as attested to by this seizure, ” he said.
Bomodi said the Customs risk-management system was robust and had no weak links, warning smugglers and those attempting to disguise firearms as household goods, conceal them inside containers or use false and inconsistent documentation that intelligence-led enforcement measures were capable of detecting such schemes.
“Our risk management system is very robust and effective, there are no weak links in our architecture, so, those who believe that firearms can be disguised as household goods, concealed in containers or imported through false or inconsistent documentation should understand that intelligence-led enforcement, technological tools, profiling and inter-agency collaboration are making such schemes increasingly difficult to execute, ” he said.
He said the Service would continue to work with relevant authorities to identify, intercept and investigate consignments considered threats to national security.
Bomodi further disclosed that Customs would not limit its efforts to the physical interception of prohibited items but would pursue the networks responsible for moving the firearms.
“Our objective is to expose the entire chain involved in the illicit movement of firearms, from the source and shipment to the intended destination and beneficiaries,” he assured.
He also appealed to members of the trading public, particularly clearing agents, who might have information capable of assisting security agencies in identifying and arresting those behind the importation of the firearms, urging them to come forward.
Earlier, the Customs Area Controller, Tin Can Island Port Command, Comptroller Joseph Anani, said the repeated seizures had demonstrated the Command’s determination to prevent the port from being used as a channel for importing prohibited and dangerous items.
“These repeated seizures send a clear message: the Tin Can Island Port Command will not be a weak link in the enforcement of import prohibitions, particularly when it concerns dangerous items capable of threatening the peace and security of our nation,” Anani said.
“Those who see our ports as an easy route for bringing prohibited and dangerous items into Nigeria should understand that they will not find a willing partner in the Nigeria Customs Service,” he added.
Anani commended the Comptroller-General of Customs for his leadership and support to the Command, saying the management’s commitment to strengthening inter-agency collaboration and border security had continued to encourage officers in the field.
He also acknowledged the NCCSALW for its cooperation, particularly the joint work carried out by the two agencies’ armament units to assemble the intercepted firearm components and establish what had been seized.
Anani equally commended officers and men of the Tin Can Island Port Command for their vigilance, courage and dedication, noting that successful interceptions were the result of individual officers making the decision to carry out their duties diligently, often under difficult circumstances.
Receiving the seized firearms on behalf of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, the Zonal Director, South-West Zone, CP Abiodun Alamutu, said the successive interceptions highlighted both the determination of criminal elements to circumvent Nigeria’s security architecture and the effectiveness of the Customs Service in preventing such weapons from reaching unauthorised persons.
He expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs for his support and partnership with the NCCSALW, as well as to the Tin Can Island Port Command for its vigilance and commitment.
According to Alamutu, the fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons could not be won by a single agency acting alone.
He called for sustained collaboration, effective information sharing, active participation and a unified commitment among all stakeholders involved in national security.
He assured the Customs Service that the 204 firearms being handed over to the Centre would be properly registered, managed and secured in accordance with national procedures and international best practices.
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