With the showcasing of multiple seizures of arms and ammunition, narcotics and illicit drugs last week, two Area Commands of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Lagos send warning signals to smugglers that they are not wanted anywhere near the South west region
By Innocent Chukwu
Barely two weeks after the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi unveiled 399 pump-action riffles seized by the Tincan Island Port Command, the Command on Monday, August 31, 2026 showcased another set of 204 firearms concealed in a 20-feet container said to have originated from Turkey.
The Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs (DCG) Timi Bomodi who stood in for the Comptroller-General, Adeniyi said the latest seizure became possible with a combination of credible intelligence, sustained surveillance and collaboration with other security agencies.
Bomodi told the media that the container numbered TEMU 184536/9 which arrived at the Tincan Island Port on August 16, 2026, aboard the vessel MV Algeciras Express, was flagged for examination and subjected to the 100 per cent physical inspection on August 18.
According to the DCG, the firearm components were concealed among declared household and other goods, including furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergent.
Arising from the discovery, the NCS Armament Unit worked jointly with experts from the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under the Office of the National Security Adviser, to assemble the knocked-down components.
The assemblage resulted in the recovery of 204 MAS 49 Alter Magnum pump-action rifles, alongside several leftover firearm components.
The recovered components included 54 barrels, 56 trigger groups, 56 springs, 56 pistol grips, 55 pistol grip screws, 58 locking lugs, 53 charging handles, 39 trigger pins, 38 forward grips, 67 forward-grip latches and two U-plates.
Speaking at the event, DCG Bomodi who heads the Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection Unit at the Customs Headquarters, reiterated that the seizure demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-led enforcement and inter-agency collaboration.
He added that the latest interception was another demonstration that the Customs Service is maintaining heightened surveillance against movement of illicit importation of firearms and other prohibited items through Nigeria’s ports and land borders.
The CGC’s representative warned smugglers, arms traffickers and their collaborators that the Customs Service was becoming increasingly difficult to circumvent, he stressed that risk management, intelligence, profiling, technology and collaboration among security agencies were being deployed to frustrate illegal importation.
The Service, he explained, would not only focus on the physical seizure of prohibited items but would also pursue the criminal networks behind the consignments.
Bomodi said, “Our objective is to expose the entire chain involved in the illicit movement of firearms from the source and shipment to the intended destination and beneficiaries”. Bomodi also praised the Customs Area Controller of Tincan Island Customs Command, Comptroller Joe Anani under whose watch the Command has been consistent in intercepting smuggled items. Since becoming the CAC of the Command earlier in the year, Comptroller Anani has battled all forms of smuggling to a standstill. His reforms have also brought about huge increase in the revenue generation of the Command.
Another Customs Command in Lagos, the enforcement arm of the Service officially referred to as the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Lagos in charge of policing the South west region against smuggling activities, announced that it intercepted illicit drugs valued at ₦3.95 billion and arrested three suspects over a four-month period.
The seizures were made public during a media briefing on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at the Unit’s headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, during the formal handover of the seized items to partner agencies.
Speaking at the event, the Comptroller, FOU Zone ‘A’, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu, noted that the exercise underscored the Service’s commitment to national security and inter-agency collaboration.
He said, “It is my pleasure to welcome you all to this important handover of seized illicit goods by the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, of the Nigeria Customs Service.
“Today’s event is a practical demonstration of the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to national security, public health, environmental safety and the economic well-being of Nigerians. It also reflects the importance of strategic partnership in the fight against smuggling and other forms of transborder crime.
“The psychotropic substances being handed over today were intercepted and seized by the gallant officers and men of this Unit during our sustained anti-smuggling operations along the border corridor, highways, and other strategic locations within our areas of responsibility (AOR).
“The decisive enforcement actions targeted drug trafficking syndicates across the zone, leading to the recovery of several narcotics”.
Giving a breakdown of the narcotics, Comptroller Aliyu listed 5,669 parcels and 19 sacks of synthetic strain cannabis sativa weighing 3,116.9 kg, 3½ packs of ground cannabis (skunk) weighing 3.45 kg, 2 packs of granular cannabis (skunk) weighing one kg and 11 small packs of granular cannabis (skunk) weighing 0.35 kg.
Others were; 24 packets of Backwoods Russian Cream cigars weighing 0.5 g, 49 wraps of cannabis (skunk) weighing 26.1 kg, one wrap of crystal methamphetamine weighing 0.35 kg.
The narcotics were formally handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation alongside three arrested suspects.
In addition to the narcotics, officers transferred 1,754 packs and 6,948 sachets of 225mg and 100mg Tramadol tablets, 1,200 Hypnox 1mg tablets, and 97 bottles of Codeine syrup.
Comptroller Aliyu said, “The illicit movement of cannabis sativa and other controlled substances poses a serious threat to public health, national security and the future of our young people. Such substances fuel addiction, criminality, violence and other social problems.
“The Nigeria Customs Service will continue to support the efforts of the NDLEA by disrupting the movement of narcotic drugs and illicit goods across Nigeria’s borders. We are equally committed to providing relevant information and supporting further investigation whenever necessary.
“The formal transfer of these items to the NDLEA will enable the agency to conduct the appropriate forensic, investigative and prosecutorial processes in accordance with the law. It will also ensure that the seized narcotics are handled, stored and disposed of in a secure and professionally regulated manner.”
Beyond narcotics, the unit intercepted four cylinders of a chemical compound weighing 34.5 kg each, identified as high-grade mercury. The hazardous substance, typically utilized in small-scale gold mining, poses severe environmental risks and is regulated under the Minamata Convention.
The chemical was transferred to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) for proper regulatory handling.
