Customs uncover 399 rifles at Tincan Island Port

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a significant cache of firearms at the Tincan Island Port Command in Lagos, uncovering 399 fully assembled Jojef rifles and a substantial quantity of supplementary rifle parts. The discovery was made during a detailed examination of a container.

According to Abdullah Maiwada, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, the intercepted container held concealed crates containing knocked-down components preliminarily identified as Jojef pump-action rifles. The recovered parts include 89 frames, 16 heat shields, 10 trigger pins, and numerous other components essential for rifle assembly.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the seizure as a major blow against illegal arms proliferation. He issued a warning that criminal elements might attempt to use Nigeria's borders, ports, and airports to smuggle prohibited items, particularly as the country approaches a general election cycle. Adeniyi assured the public that the NCS would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to thwart such attempts.

The NCS is preparing to hand over the seized armaments to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). This inter-agency collaboration aims to remove dangerous weapons from circulation and bring those involved in the trafficking network to justice, while also facilitating legitimate trade.

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We are about entering a major election cycle, and we know that by this period, men of the underworld will want to use our borders, our ports, our airports to bring in items like this. We are going to redouble our efforts to ensure that we do not allow them to do so.