The Nigeria Customs Service has uncovered 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms and hundreds of assorted rifle components in a seized shipment at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The discovery was confirmed on Sunday after Customs officials completed a detailed examination of a container initially found to contain crates of dismantled firearm components.
NCS National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, said the shipment had earlier been intercepted by officers at the port after the concealed components were identified as parts of Jojef pump-action rifles.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, said the additional items recovered included 89 frames, 16 heat shields, 10 trigger pins, three pistons, 25 locking lugs and 80 charging handles.
Other recovered components included 39 pistol-grip screws, 34 springs, 57 trigger groups, 66 foregrip latches, 45 foregrips or handguards, four pistol grips and five barrels.
Adeniyi warned that criminal networks could attempt to exploit Nigeria’s ports, airports and borders to move prohibited items into the country, particularly as the country approaches another major election cycle.
“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,” he said.
He said Customs would intensify intelligence-led surveillance and enforcement at Nigeria’s entry points to prevent illicit arms and other prohibited goods from entering the country. The service also plans to strengthen cooperation with other security agencies to identify and dismantle arms-trafficking networks.
Adeniyi specifically highlighted collaboration with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, under the Office of the National Security Adviser, as part of efforts to protect national security.
The seized firearms will be handed over to the NCCSALW after Customs completes the inventory and assessment process. The NCS said the seizure demonstrates the importance of joint security operations in keeping dangerous weapons out of circulation and pursuing those behind illegal arms trafficking.
