The Nigeria Customs Service has handed over 399 seized rifles and assorted firearm components to the Office of the National Security Adviser, following the completion of an inventory and examination of the weapons intercepted at the Tincan Island Port Command.
Customs Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi said the seizure included 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms, as well as 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 or handguards, four pistol grips and five barrels.
The weapons were handed over to the Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons under the Office of the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu.
Adeniyi warned that criminal networks could attempt to exploit Nigeria’s borders, ports and airports to move prohibited items ahead of the country’s next general elections.
> “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.
He said Customs would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to prevent the movement of illegal arms and other prohibited items.
The Customs chief also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to intelligence-led enforcement and stronger collaboration with security agencies to identify and dismantle arms-trafficking networks.
Two suspects arrested during the preliminary investigation have also been handed over to the Office of the NSA for further action.
