Customs Hands Over 399 Rifles, Components to NCCSALW

In a move aimed at curbing the proliferation of illicit weapons in the country, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over 399 seized rifles and hundreds of firearm components to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).

The handover took place on Monday at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, where Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizure underscored the importance of strengthening security controls at Nigeria’s ports and borders.

According to Adeniyi, the consignment included 399 rifles, 89 frames, 80 charging handles, 579 trigger groups, and 25 locking lugs. He explained that the interception was made possible through the Service’s trade modernization system and advanced risk-management tools, which allow officers to identify high-risk shipments without physically inspecting every container.

Two suspects linked to the consignment were arrested, and Adeniyi warned that any Customs personnel found aiding the movement of prohibited goods would face disciplinary action. He commended officers at the Tin Can Island command especially Comptroller Joseph Anani for their vigilance, noting the importance of such seizures as Nigeria confronts terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Receiving the weapons, NCCSALW Director-General Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (rtd.) praised Customs for the interception and transfer. He highlighted that illicit arms remain a major driver of insecurity, enabling criminal groups to sustain violence. Kokumo revealed that the Centre has so far retrieved more than 21,000 weapons, with about 19,000 destroyed.

He assured that the newly received rifles would be catalogued, profiled, and processed for appropriate disposal, stressing the need for stronger intelligence sharing and cooperation among security agencies to disrupt arms-trafficking networks.

Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Island Port, Joseph Anani, also emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration in arms control, pledging continued commitment to preventing the illegal movement of small arms and light weapons through Nigeria’s ports.

This latest seizure adds to previous interceptions at Lagos airport and Onne Port, reinforcing Nigeria’s broader effort to tighten border security and combat the spread of illicit arms.