To curb the proliferation of illicit weapons entering into the country, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over 399 seized rifles and hundreds of firearm components to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
Speaking during the handover ceremony on Monday at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizure underscored the importance of strengthening security controls at Nigeria’s ports and borders.
Two suspects linked to the consignment were arrested, and Adeniyi warned that any Customs personnel found aiding the movement of prohibited goods would face disciplinary action. He commended officers at the Tin Can Island command especially Comptroller Joseph Anani for their vigilance, noting the importance of such seizures as Nigeria confronts terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to Adeniyi, the consignment included 399 rifles, 89 frames, 80 charging handles, 579 trigger groups, and 25 locking lugs. He explained that the interception was made possible through the Service’s trade modernization system and advanced risk-management tools, which allow officers to identify high-risk shipments without physically inspecting every container.
Adeniyi warned that the quantity of firearms could have had serious consequences if the weapons had reached criminal elements.
He said that Nigeria is already contending with terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime, with illicit firearms often playing a major role in such activities.
While raising concerns over the approaching electioneering season, expressing fears that hundreds of firearms in the wrong hands could threaten the peace of communities and undermine democratic activities.
Adeniyi described the operation as a complete enforcement chain, involving the identification and interception of the suspicious consignment, arrest of the suspects, court proceedings and the eventual transfer of the weapons to the national authority responsible for their control.
The NCS boss reiterated that the Customs Service would continue to strengthen its risk management systems and work closely with sister security agencies to prevent the nation’s ports, borders and airports from being used for the illegal importation of firearms and other dangerous items.
Responding, the National Coordinator of the NCCSALW, Johnson Kokumo, disclosed that the Centre has received more than 21,000 Small Arms and Light Weapons from the Nigeria Customs Service since its establishment.
He added that more than 19,000 of the weapons had already been destroyed.
He assured that the newly received rifles would be catalogued, profiled, and processed for appropriate disposal, stressing the need for stronger intelligence sharing and cooperation among security agencies to disrupt arms-trafficking networks.
He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs and officers of the Service for their continued cooperation with the NCCSALW in recovering illicit weapons during enforcement operations.
Also speaking during the handover, Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Port, Joseph Anani, emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration in arms control, pledging continued commitment to preventing the illegal movement of small arms and light weapons through Nigeria’s ports.
Anani reiterated that effective border management goes beyond mere seizure operations, but requires concerted cooperation among Customs, security agencies and regulatory institutions.
He said this latest seizure reinforces Nigeria’s broader effort to tighten border security and combat the spread of illicit arms
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