Jelili Gbadamosi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 399 pump-action rifles and 535 firearm components at the Tincan Island Port in Lagos ahead of the election season.
The seized weapons were formally handed over on Monday, August 17, 2026, to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) as part of efforts to prevent illicit firearms from entering circulation.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the seizure was significant given the security challenges associated with the electioneering period, noting that the interception had prevented hundreds of firearms from getting into the wrong hands.
Adeniyi attributed the success of the operation to improved intelligence and the deployment of technology at the nation’s ports and borders.
He warned that the NCS would not allow its facilities to be used to smuggle arms into the country, adding that any Customs officer found facilitating illegal arms importation would face serious consequences.
The Customs boss also disclosed that the Federal High Court in Lagos had remanded two suspects allegedly connected to the shipment, with their arraignment scheduled for August 25.
Receiving the weapons, the Director-General of the NCCSALW, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Johnson Babatunde (Rtd.), commended the Customs Service for its vigilance and collaboration in combating the proliferation of illicit arms.
Babatunde said the seized weapons would be catalogued, profiled and documented, in line with national laws and international best practices. He added that serviceable firearms approved for legitimate security use would be properly accounted for, while illegal, obsolete and unserviceable weapons would be destroyed.
