The Nigeria Customs Service has uncovered 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms and assorted rifle parts concealed in a shipment at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The seizure was confirmed on Sunday after Customs officers completed the coupling and detailed examination of the consignment, which was initially discovered as crates of knocked-down firearm components concealed inside a container.
The NCS National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
According to Maiwada, Customs Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi had earlier announced the interception of the container containing the concealed firearm components, which were initially identified as Jojef pump-action rifles.
Adeniyi said further examination of the shipment led to the recovery of additional rifle components, including 89 frames, 16 heat shields, 10 trigger pins, three pistons, 25 locking lugs and 80 charging handles.
Other items recovered were 39 pistol-grip screws, 34 springs, 57 trigger groups, 66 foregrip latches, 45 foregrips or handguards, four pistol grips and five barrels.
The Customs boss warned that criminal networks could exploit Nigeria’s borders, ports and airports to smuggle prohibited items into the country, particularly as the nation approaches another general election.
He said, “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.”
Adeniyi said the NCS would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to prevent the movement of illicit firearms and other prohibited items through Nigeria’s entry points.
He also reaffirmed the service’s commitment to intelligence-led operations, stronger border surveillance and increased collaboration with sister security agencies to dismantle arms-trafficking networks.
The Customs Comptroller-General specifically mentioned the agency’s collaboration with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, under the Office of the National Security Adviser, as part of efforts to safeguard national security.
He said the recovered firearms would be handed over to the NCCSALW after the completion of the inventory and assessment.
Adeniyi added that the seizure demonstrated the commitment of security agencies to removing dangerous weapons from circulation and ensuring that those behind the alleged trafficking network were identified and brought to justice.
