Customs Hands Over Seized 399 Jojef Pump-Action Rifles, 535 Firearm Components To NCCSALW At Tincan Area Command

By Asuquo Nuwak

Customs Hands Over Seized 399 Jojef Pump-Action Rifles, 535 Firearm Components To NCCSALW At Tincan Area Command

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has officially handed over the fully assembled 399 seized Jojef pump-action rifles and 535 firearm components at Tincan Island Port Area Command to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).

This operation was to block illicit weapons proliferation and curbing insecurity arising from terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who spoke at the event, described the interception as a major security intervention by the Service.

He is quoted as saying that: “The container carrying the weapons arrived at the port aboard MV Velika on July 8, 2026. It was subsequently flagged by the customs risk-management system for further examination. What officers eventually found was far more serious than an ordinary customs irregularity”.

It was discovered that the firearms had been dismantled and concealed inside the container in an apparent attempt to defeat routine cargo checks.

After a detailed examination and reconstruction, customs officers recovered 399 fully assembled rifles and 535 assorted firearm components.

Among the recovered components were frames, charging handles, trigger groups and locking blocks, all of which were counted and documented before the handover.

Adeniyi said the operation showed why technology and intelligence have become increasingly important in securing Nigeria’s ports.

He revealed that customs cannot physically open every container that comes into the country, instead its risk-management system helps identify consignments that require closer scrutiny through the use of automated risk assessment, cargo tracking and non-intrusive inspection.

He is quoted as stating that: “What technology gives us is the ability to know which container to open”.

The CGC explained that the interception was not the end of the operation, as investigators had moved beyond the discovery of the weapons to identifying people allegedly connected with the shipment.

Meanwhile, two suspects, Robert Eze and Ejiogu Godson, have been arrested in connection with the consignment.

Adeniyi said one of them was arrested on July 31 at the Bond Terminal, while allegedly attempting to secure the release of the container.

The two suspects have reportedly been remanded by the Federal High Court in Lagos as investigations continue.

Adeniyi, however, cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the suspects, stressing that investigators were still working to establish the intended destination of the weapons and the wider network behind the shipment.

In his words: “Therefore this is not an incident.This is a case, and every link inside of it”.

The CGC further sent a strong warning to officers who might be tempted to assist arms traffickers.

He said any Customs personnel who uses his or her position to facilitate the movement of illicit weapons would not be protected by the Service.

The retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, who received the weapons on behalf of the NCCSALW, also commended the Nigeria Customs Service for the interception and described the handover as another important step in the fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

Kokumo noted that illicit weapons continue to fuel terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and other violent crimes across the country.

Significantly, he said the Centre has so far recovered more than 21,000 small arms and light weapons, with over 19,000 destroyed since its establishment.

He gave the assurance that the weapons handed over by customs would be properly accounted for and managed in line with Nigerian laws and international best practices.

In the same vein, Kokumo also called for stronger intelligence sharing and closer cooperation among security and law-enforcement agencies, saying the fight against illegal arms trafficking cannot be won by one agency working alone.

Official report from the Service said the Tincan Island Command also recorded another major interception involving illicit drugs, and also
uncovered cannabis-infused products concealed among other imported goods in 240 water containers.

Additionally, the consignment included Delta-8 cannabis-infused pre-rolled products, gummies and cookies with a combined street value put at approximately ₦373.8 million.

Still, Adeniyi said the valuation and inventory of the products had been completed and that the items would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and necessary action.

Similarly, he explained that proper handover of seized items to the appropriate agencies was part of the Service’s commitment to transparency, accountability and effective inter-agency cooperation.

Commenting during the event, the Customs Area Controller of Tincan Island Port Command, Joe A. Anani, described the handover as a demonstration of the shared responsibility of security agencies to protect the country.

He stressed that effective border management goes beyond seizure operations, requiring sustained cooperation among customs, security agencies and regulatory institutions.

However, for Adeniyi, the real significance of the operation goes beyond the number of rifles displayed at the handover ceremony.

He noted that every weapon intercepted before reaching a criminal network could mean a life protected.

He is quoted as saying that: “Every firearm we stop before it reaches the wrong hands is a life that may have been saved”.

The Customs chief said the Service would continue to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve its risk-management systems and deepen cooperation with sister agencies to prevent Nigeria’s ports and borders from becoming routes for illicit weapons and dangerous substances.

He noted that the latest operation therefore sends a clear message to say that legitimate trade remains welcome, but those attempting to turn Nigeria’s ports into entry points for weapons and narcotics will face increasingly sophisticated customs checks and enforcement.

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