Customs begins prosecution over 399 smuggled rifles, hands over arms
By Anthony Nwachukwu
Two suspects, identified as Robert Eze and Ejeogu Godson, who were arrested in connection with the illegal import of 399 fully assembled JGF pump-action rifles and 535 assorted firearm components, would be arraigned on August 25, 2026, the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adeniyi, has said.
Speaking in Lagos on Monday during the handover of the consignment to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Adeniyi disclosed that one of the suspects was arrested on July 31 at the Tin Can Island Port terminal while attempting to procure the release of the container.
The CGC said the two suspects had been remanded by the Federal High Court in Lagos, adding that, with the completion of the examination and the suspects’ arrest, the firearms had now been formally transferred to the appropriate national authority.
He disclosed that having been flagged by the customs risk management system, the consignment was intercepted on arrival at the Tin Can Island Port on July 8 aboard MV Velika.
According to him, the firearms had been dismantled and concealed in knockdown form in a deliberate attempt to make the weapons less recognisable during cargo examination. The recovered components, the CGC said, included 89 frames, 80 charging handles, 579 trigger groups and 25 locking lugs.
Adeniyi warned that the NCS would not allow Nigeria’s ports and borders to become channels for trafficking of arms and other threats to national security.
To that end, he vowed that the service would continue to protect lives and property and the economy by its relentless anti-smuggling war, stating that the seizure prevented the weapons from reaching their intended destination and potentially falling into criminal hands.
Describing the interception as particularly significant given Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges, Adeniyi noted that hundreds of firearms entering the wrong hands could pose a serious threat to public safety and the democratic process, especially as the country approaches its general election.
In the meantime, the CGC said efforts were ongoing to establish the importers and the intended destination of the consignment, stating that the interception, investigation, arrest of suspects, prosecution and handover of the firearms complete the enforcement chain.
Adeniyi further revealed that the interception was aided by the deployment of technology and automated risk management under the customs’ trade modernisation programme.
He explained that the agency cannot physically open every container entering the country; therefore, the deployment of technology-driven risk profiling to identify suspicious consignments that require physical examination.
Handing over the consignment, Adeniyi pledged a continued strengthening of intelligence gathering, risk management and collaboration with sister security agencies to enhance the identification and disruption of firearms smuggling efforts.
On his part, the NCCSALW Director-General, DIG Johnson Kokumo (rtd), noted that the handover reflected inter-agency cooperation, accountability and a shared responsibility to protect the country’s peace and security.
He commended the Tin Can Island Port Command for its role in the interception, stressing that the customs’ seizure and proper accounting for controlled items were critical to the country’s efforts at combating the illicit movement and proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
