- Two suspects have been arrested and are currently in custody
- A joint operation involving multiple security agencies led to the discovery of the illegal weapons
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have successfully intercepted a total of 31 firearms of various types at two ports in Lagos – Tin-Can Port and Port and Multi-Purpose Terminals (PTML). Two suspects have been apprehended and are currently under the custody of the Customs Service.
The newly-appointed Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, addressed the press in Lagos, providing details of the operation. He revealed that on July 5, a collaborative effort involving the Police, Department of State Security (DSS), National Drug Law Enforcement and Administration (NDLEA), and the Customs Intelligence Unit at the Ports Terminal and Multi Services Limited Command, conducted a meticulous physical examination of a 40-foot container.
During the inspection, the following items were discovered: three new Pump Action rifles, one new armed rifle, six different models of new pistols, one new millennium G2 pistol, one new Sarsilmaz SAR-9X pistol, three new Lugger Security-9 pistols, one new Taurus Banbridge G3C pistol, one new SCCY CPX-2 pistol, one new Taurus (63 pistols), 14 empty magazines, and 442 rounds of live ammunition.
He said: “Our dedicated officers and men have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their responsibilities.
“Their diligence and perseverance have been the cornerstone of our operations. Our actions within the NCS have been driven by a deep sense of purpose and guided by the mantra of renewed hope, which underpins the current administration’s vision.
“We recognize the significance of our role in contributing to the overall objectives of the President Tinubu-led Administration, as articulated in the Road Map of the Policy Advisory Council document.
“The declaration of a state of emergency in revenue generation and national security has further aligned our activities with the government’s overarching goals.
“Under this commitment, I stand before you today to highlight the recent achievements of the NCS in our ongoing efforts to suppress smuggling and safeguard national security.
“Some of our dedicated and diligent officers uncovered some smuggled arms and ammunition while on duty at various Commands and formations.”
Furthermore, the Customs boss shared that two clearing agents, Mr. Shokunbi Olanrewaju of Shooler Global International Ltd, and Mr. Joseph Nwadiodor, who was scheduled to take possession of the container, are presently held as suspects in connection with the seizure.
Simultaneously, the Tin-can Island Port Command of the NCS, acting on credible intelligence, subjected a 40-foot container to a comprehensive physical examination, alongside the relevant security agencies at the ports. This inspection resulted in the discovery of 18 firearms, packets of cartridges, and rounds of live ammunition concealed within plastic drums.
The seized arsenal comprised two Sar9 Sarsilmarz Pistols, one Ruger American Pistol, and three Taurus G3– Bainbridge Pistols. Additionally, 12 different types of rifles, 10 packets of cartridges, two packets of 9mm ammunition, 100 rounds of 9mm Winchester ammunition, one carton of Frontier cartridges, and packets of Buckshot ammunition were recovered.
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