By Newsshelve
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Port Command, has intercepted firearm components concealed in a container from Turkey and assembled into 399 pump-action rifles, in another major breakthrough against illicit arms trafficking and threats to national security.
The seized firearms were formally handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), following the interception by officers of the Tin Can Island Port Command and the subsequent assembling of the components by experts from the Nigeria Customs Service and the Centre.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Port Command, Mohammed Murtaja, said the seizure demonstrated the Command’s sustained vigilance and intelligence-driven enforcement against attempts to use the port as a channel for smuggling dangerous weapons into the country.
Murtaja said a 20-foot container, identified as TEMU 184536/9, arrived from Turkey aboard MV AJCIRAS Express on August 16, 2026.
According to him, the container was flagged and subjected to 100 per cent physical examination on August 18, leading to the discovery of knocked-down firearm components concealed among declared used household goods, including furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergents.
He said further discrepancies were discovered in the consignment documents, particularly concerning the identity of the consignee, adding that investigations into the shipment and those connected with it were ongoing.
Following the interception, the Command assembled a team of experts from the Nigeria Customs Service Armament Unit and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, under the Office of the National Security Adviser, to examine and assemble the seized components.
The exercise resulted in the assembly of 399 pump-action rifles, alongside several other firearm components.
The Controller said the seizure was a clear indication that the Service had intensified surveillance and intelligence-led enforcement against the illicit movement of firearms through Nigeria’s ports and borders.
He warned smugglers and arms traffickers that the Nigeria Customs Service would not allow Tin Can Island Port to become a gateway for the importation of weapons capable of threatening the peace and security of the country.
Murtaja said the Command would continue to collaborate with relevant security agencies to identify, intercept and investigate consignments posing threats to national security.
He added that Customs would pursue not only the physical seizure of prohibited items but also the criminal networks responsible for their movement.
“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 said.
The Customs Area Controller commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for his leadership, encouragement and continued support to the Command, particularly in strengthening intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration and border security.
The Zonal Director, South-West Zone of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, CP Abiodun Alamutu, PSC (Rtd.), who represented the Centre, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its vigilance and sustained efforts in preventing illicit firearms from entering the country.
He said the interception further demonstrated the importance of cooperation among security agencies in tackling the proliferation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons.
Alamutu noted that collaboration between the NCCSALW and the Nigeria Customs Service had gone beyond routine inter-agency cooperation, with personnel of both organisations working together to identify and assemble intercepted knocked-down firearm components.
He said the fight against illicit arms trafficking required sustained intelligence sharing, professionalism and a coordinated whole-of-government approach, noting that the proliferation of illegal weapons remained a major threat to peace, public safety and national security.
He stressed that the handover was not merely about the seizure of firearms but about preventing instruments of violence from finding their way into communities.
According to him, Nigeria’s ports must continue to serve as gateways for legitimate trade and economic development rather than channels for the importation of illicit arms and dangerous items.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, at the ceremony, Deputy Comptroller-General Timi Bomodi, who oversees Enforcement, Inspection and Investigation at the Nigeria Customs Service, reaffirmed the Service’s determination to sustain its crackdown on arms trafficking and other forms of smuggling.
Bomodi said the interception reflected the effectiveness of the Service’s intelligence-led enforcement strategy, strengthened risk management system and increased deployment of technology in Customs operations.
He warned criminal elements that the space for concealing firearms and other prohibited items in cargo consignments was becoming increasingly limited.
According to him, attempts to disguise weapons as household goods or conceal them in containers through false and inconsistent documentation would continue to be exposed through intelligence gathering, technological tools and strengthened collaboration among security agencies.
The DCG said the Service would remain resolute in ensuring that Nigeria’s ports and borders were not exploited by criminal networks seeking to undermine national security.
The interception comes amid renewed efforts by the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies to curb the proliferation of illicit arms and dismantle networks involved in arms trafficking.
The seizure also highlights the growing importance of intelligence sharing and collaboration among the Nigeria Customs Service, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Police, the Department of State Services and other security agencies.
As the 399 pump-action rifles were formally handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons for appropriate statutory action, the Nigeria Customs Service reiterated its warning that Tin Can Island Port and other entry points into the country would not provide safe passage for arms traffickers and other criminal networks.
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