Customs Seizes 399 Rifles, Components at Tin Can Port

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a major arms shipment at the Tin Can Island Port Command, uncovering 399 fully assembled Jojef rifles along with a large cache of rifle components.

The seizure, finalized on Sunday, 9 August 2026, followed an earlier disclosure by Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi that Customs had intercepted a container filled with concealed crates of knocked-down firearm parts.

Additional recovered items were 89 frames, 16 heat shields, 10 trigger pins, three pistons, 25 locking lugs, 80 charging handles, 39 pistol-grip screws, 34 springs, 57 trigger groups, 66 foregrip latches, 45 foregrips/handguards, four pistol grips, and five barrels.

Adeniyi warned that criminal networks often attempt to exploit Nigeria’s borders during election cycles to smuggle prohibited weapons. He pledged intensified surveillance and enforcement to prevent such activities:

“We are about entering a major election cycle… men of the underworld will want to use our borders, ports, and 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.”

The NCS reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-led enforcement, stronger border monitoring, and collaboration with sister agencies, including the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Following the complete inventory, Customs announced plans to hand over the seized weapons to the NCCSALW, underscoring a unified inter-agency effort to dismantle trafficking networks, safeguard national security, and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.