CUSTOMS HAND OVER 399 SEIZED RIFLES TO NSA’S OFFICE

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By ‘Sefiu Ajape

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over more than 399 seized rifles to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, in a major development in the fight against illegal arms proliferation in the country.

Speaking with journalists on Monday, the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the service had completed the coupling and detailed examination of a major arms seizure at the Tincan Island Port Command.

He said the operation uncovered 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms, alongside a significant quantity of additional rifle components.

According to Adeniyi, the recovered parts included 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 could attempt to exploit Nigeria’s borders, ports, and airports ahead of the next general elections to smuggle prohibited items into the country.

He assured Nigerians that the service would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to prevent such activities.

“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,” Adeniyi said.

The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, during the handover of the seized rifles to the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

The Customs boss reaffirmed the service’s commitment to intelligence-led enforcement, enhanced border surveillance, and collaboration with sister security agencies.

He specifically highlighted cooperation with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser to identify and dismantle trafficking networks while protecting national security and facilitating legitimate trade.

Following the completion of the inventory and assessment of the illicit shipment, Adeniyi handed over the seized weapons to the Director General of the NCCSALW under the Office of the NSA.

The handover underscored the agencies’ joint commitment to removing dangerous weapons from circulation and ensuring that those behind the trafficking network are identified and brought to justice.

Adeniyi added that the two suspects arrested during the preliminary investigation had been handed over to the Office of the NSA.