The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has disclosed that acting on a tip-off on Monday, July 5, 2023, its officers intercepted a 1×40ft container laden with three pump action rifles and different kinds of ammunition, adding that the container went through 100 percent physical examination with the relevant security agencies at the port.
Acting Comptroller General of the service, Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Lagos stated that the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) in a joint operation with the Nigeria Police, Department of State Security (DSS) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) carried out on July 5, 2023 at the Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) uncovered 10 dangerous arms and ammunition concealed inside a plastic drum during a physical examination conducted on the 40ft container.
He gave a breakdown of the concealed items to include three new pump action rifles and one new unit of an armed rifle; six new different makes of pistols including one new millennium G2 pistol, one new sarsilmaz SAR-9X pistol, one new Lugger Security-9 pistol, one new Taurus Banbridge G3C pistol, one new SCCY CPX-2 pistol and one new Taurus (63 pistols), as well as 14 empty magazines and 442 rounds of live ammunition.
Adeniyi further explained that the clearing agent, Shokunbi Olanrewaju of Shooler Global International Limited and Joseph Nwadiodor, who was expected to take delivery of the container, were currently detained as suspects in connection with the seizures.
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He observed that within the same period while acting on credible intelligence, the Tincan Island Port Command of the service subjected a 1x40ft container to 100 percent physical examination with the relevant security agencies at the ports and uncovered 18 arms, packets of cartridges and rounds of live ammunition inside plastic drums.
He gave the details as: Six different makes of pistols including two Sar9 Sarsilmarz Pistols, one Ruger American Pistol and three Taurus G3c– Bainbridge Pistols; 12 different makes of rifles namely: five Rz17hd rifles; one Gamo rifle; five Pump Action rifles and one Rz17 Tactical rifle; 10 packets of cartridges; two packets of 9mm ammunition; 100 rounds of 9mm Winchester ammunition; one carton of Frontier cartridges and two packets of Buckshot ammunition.
Speaking further, he said: “Again, during a routine patrol along the Owode/Ajilete Axis of Ogun State by officers of the Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) Sector 2 on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, intercepted an unregistered Toyota Camry loaded with six sacks of charcoal, which was used to conceal three pump action rifles with 174 live cartridges.
“The driver of the vehicle, who knew the content he was conveying with regard to the attendant consequences of his action before the law, jumped into the bush and escaped arrest.”
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