Customs Hands Over Seized Arms To NCCSALW
Customs Hands Over Seized Arms To NCCSALW
By Asuquo Nuwak
••• CGC Adeniyi reiterates commitment to enhance national security
The Nigeria Customs Service has handed over 1,599 assorted arms and 2,298 live cartridges to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The report said, the arms were seized in 2018 in three containers at Tincan Island Port, and were formally handed over to the NCCSALW on Thursday, 13 February 2025, at the Headquarters of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos.
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, stated that the handover ceremony demonstrates the NCS’s commitment to protecting national borders and maintaining public safety.
He said that the Service will provide no resource in hunting down, exposing, and prosecuting anyone who attempts to compromise our national security through arms trafficking.
The CGC also commended the professionalism and courage of officers involved in the seizures and the forensics unit for their role in securing convictions.
He therefore assured the public of the Service’s commitment to protecting legitimate trade while ensuring national security.
He added that the Service stand ready to deploy their full arsenal of intelligence and enforcement capabilities to protect legitimate trade as they ensure Nigeria’s security interests remain paramount.
The Director-General of NCCSALW, DIG Johnson Babatunde (Rtd), who received the items on behalf of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, also assured that the weapons would be handled in accordance with international conventions.
In his words: “Nigeria is a signatory to the ECOWAS Convention, and we will not do anything short of international best practice”.
He urged all stakeholders to remain vigilant and to continue collaborating to ensure the country remains resilient against the scourge of illicit weaponry.
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