The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Tin Can Island Port Command, has intercepted 204 pump-action rifles and various firearm components concealed in a 20-foot container imported from Turkey.
The seizure was disclosed at a press briefing at the Tin Can Island Port Command, Lagos, attended by the NCS Zone A Coordinator, ACG Mohamed Babandede; South-West Zonal Director of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, CP Abiodun Alamutu (rtd.); representatives of the Port Manager, NDLEA, Police and State Security Service, as well as Customs Area Controllers and senior officers.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi said the latest seizure followed credible intelligence and sustained enforcement efforts by the Command to prevent the importation and circulation of illegally imported firearms.
Adeniyi who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, DCG T. Bomodi recalled that on August 18, 2026, he briefed journalists on an earlier interception of knocked-down firearm components, which were subsequently assembled into 399 pump-action rifles and handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
According to him, a 20-foot container, numbered TEMU 184536/9, arrived from Turkey aboard MV Algeciras Express on August 16, 2026 and acting on intelligence, Customs officers flagged the container and subjected it to a 100 per cent physical examination on August 18.
The examination revealed knocked-down firearm components concealed among declared used goods, including furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergent. Customs also discovered discrepancies in the shipment documents, particularly regarding the identity of the consignee.
Adeniyi said experts from the NCS Armament Unit and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons subsequently worked together to assemble the intercepted components.
The exercise resulted in the identification of 204 MAS 49 Alter Magnum pump-action rifles, alongside various leftover components, including trigger pins, locking lugs, charging handles, pistol-grip screws, springs, trigger groups, forward grips, forward-grip latches, pistol grips, barrels and U-plates.
He said the seizure underscored the effectiveness of intelligence-sharing and inter-agency cooperation involving the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
“The current seizure is a further indication that the Service is maintaining heightened surveillance and intelligence-led enforcement against the illicit movement of firearms through our ports and borders,” Bomodi said.
The seized firearms and components have been secured and documented for formal handover to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons for appropriate statutory action.
He also warned smugglers, arms traffickers and their collaborators that Customs was strengthening its ability to detect attempts to conceal firearms in containers or disguise them as legitimate household goods.
He said the Service was using intelligence, risk management, technology and profiling to make such smuggling methods increasingly difficult, adding that Customs would work with other agencies to trace the networks behind illicit consignments rather than focus only on the physical seizures.
“We will continue to collaborate with all relevant authorities to identify, intercept and investigate consignments that pose a threat to national security,” he said.
Adeniyi also appealed to members of the trading community, particularly clearing agents, to provide information that could assist in identifying and arresting persons involved in the illicit importation of firearms, describing such cooperation as a patriotic duty.
Welcoming guests and journalists, Customs Area Controller, Joe Anani said the latest seizure demonstrated the Command’s continued vigilance in preventing prohibited and dangerous items from entering the country through the port.
He said the Command had recorded similar seizures within the month, describing the repeated interceptions as evidence that the Tin Can Island Port would not become a weak point in the enforcement of import prohibitions.
“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,” Anani said.
The Area Controller commended the Comptroller-General for his leadership and support, particularly in strengthening collaboration among security agencies, and acknowledged the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons for its cooperation with the Customs Armament Unit in examining and assembling intercepted firearm components.
Anani also praised officers and men of the Command for their vigilance and dedication, while recognising the media for helping to inform Nigerians about the dangers associated with illicit arms trafficking.