The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, has intercepted 15 smuggled firearms, 4,841 rounds of live ammunition, and two industrial drones in separate operations across Ogun and Ondo states.
The Zonal Comptroller, Mohammed Shuaibu, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing in Lagos, describing the seizures as a major success in the fight against arms smuggling.
According to him, officers acting on credible intelligence intercepted a Nissan Almera vehicle along Ilara bush paths near the Ogun border around 2:13 a.m. on August 7. The occupants abandoned the vehicle and fled into the forest, leaving behind concealed arms hidden under bales of second-hand clothing and cartons of spaghetti.
“A thorough search revealed 15 assorted rifles, including 14 JOJEF Magnum semi-automatic firearms of Italian origin and one Mossberg pump-action shotgun made in the United States, as well as 4,841 rounds of live ammunition,” Shuaibu stated.
He added that two bales and one sack of second-hand clothing, along with two cartons of spaghetti, were also recovered.
In another operation on August 9, a Volkswagen Sprinter bus was intercepted along the Akure-Ore road in Ondo State with two industrial drones packed inside a wooden box. One suspect was arrested for failing to provide proper documentation.
The seized items, valued at N377.11 million in duty paid terms, were described by Shuaibu as a direct threat to national security. He stressed that the importation of arms, ammunition, or drones required valid permits and an End User Certificate from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
“These seizures reflect our determination under Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, to disrupt non-state actors and secure Nigeria’s borders. Any deviation from lawful importation processes is a direct assault on national security and will be met with swift action,” Shuaibu warned.
While the smugglers managed to evade arrest during the operations, Shuaibu assured that efforts are ongoing to track and apprehend them. He noted that the intercepted arms and ammunition had been
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