The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has arrested an importer and a female clearing agent in connection with the alleged illegal importation of 399 Jojef pump-action rifles through the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday while handing over the seized firearms to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
Adeniyi said the latest seizure and arrests brought the number of suspects apprehended in connection with illegal arms imports to about 11, while the firearms handed over to the NCCSALW have risen to 21,399.
The Customs Service had in July 2026 handed over 55 Jojef Magnum Tomahawk shotguns, 844 other prohibited firearms and 112,500 rounds of ammunition to the NCCSALW.
Those weapons were intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Onne Port in Rivers State on June 19 and 21, 2024, respectively. Eleven suspects were also handed over for prosecution and are currently facing proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at the Tin Can Island Port, Adeniyi explained that the container containing the latest consignment arrived on July 8 aboard the vessel MV Velika.
He said the shipment was flagged for inspection by the Customs risk management system after the weapons were allegedly concealed in dismantled form to avoid detection.
According to him, physical examination of the container and subsequent reassembly of the items led to the discovery of 399 fully assembled Jojef pump-action rifles and 535 assorted firearm components.
The components included 89 frames, 80 charging handles, 57 trigger groups and 25 locking lugs.
Adeniyi further disclosed that one of the suspects was arrested on July 31 at a bonded terminal while allegedly attempting to facilitate the release of the container.
He said both suspects had been remanded by the Federal High Court in Lagos, with their arraignment scheduled for August 25.
The Customs chief attributed the interception to the Service’s technology-driven risk management system, noting that the system allows officers to identify high-risk consignments for inspection rather than physically examining every container entering the country.
He said the Trade Modernisation Project and the B’Odogwu platform had helped integrate cargo clearance, automated risk management, cargo tracking and non-intrusive inspection into a single system.
Adeniyi stressed that the investment in technology was aimed not only at improving revenue collection but also at strengthening national security.
He warned that the NCS would not allow Nigeria’s ports or borders to become channels for the illegal importation of firearms and other items capable of endangering national security.
The Customs boss also cautioned officers against assisting the movement of illicit arms, saying personnel found facilitating such activities would not be shielded by the Service.
Receiving the seized weapons, the Director-General of the NCCSALW, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police Kokomo Johnson, said illicit small arms and light weapons remained a major driver of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and other violent crimes.
Johnson disclosed that more than 21,000 small arms and light weapons had been recovered since the establishment of the Centre, with over 19,000 already destroyed.
He said the newly recovered firearms would be catalogued, profiled and properly documented to ensure accountability and prevent them from finding their way back into criminal hands.
He added that serviceable weapons approved for legitimate state security use would be properly accounted for, while obsolete, illegal and unserviceable firearms would be destroyed in line with relevant laws and international best practices.
The NCCSALW also called for stronger collaboration among security and law enforcement agencies, particularly through real-time intelligence sharing, civil disarmament and voluntary surrender of illegally held weapons.
The Customs Service said investigations into the consignment were ongoing, adding that the court proceedings could reveal the source of the firearms, their intended destination and other individuals who may have been involved in the alleged illegal importation.
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