The South-East area of the country was the intended destination of container loads of weapons that were intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) personnel at Tin-Can Island and Ports & Terminal Multi-Services Ltd (PTML) on Monday.
The discovery was made during a joint inspection exercise involving Customs, the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Security (DSS), and the National Drug Law Enforcement and Administration (NDLEA), according to Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, acting comptroller general of customs, who spoke to the media in Lagos on Monday, according to News About Nigeria.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the media, since taking over as Acting Comptroller General, our dedicated officers, and men have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to their duties,” said the Acting CG of Customs.
“A 40-foot container underwent a thorough physical examination on July 5, 2023, as part of a joint operation with the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Security, the National Drug Law Enforcement and Administration, and the Customs Intelligence Unit at the Ports Terminal and Multi Services Limited (PTML) Command.
The examination turned up 10 lethal weapons and numerous live rounds of ammunition hidden inside plastic drums.
The particulars include three new Pump Action rifles, one new armed rifle unit, and six new handguns of various brands, including new Taurus Banbridge G3C pistols, new Sarsilmaz SAR-9X pistols, new Millennium G2 pistols, and new Lugger Security-9 pistols. 14 empty magazines; 1 new SCCY CPX-2 pistol; 1 new Taurus (63 pistols); including 442 rounds of live ammunition.
“Mr. Joseph Nwadiodor, who was supposed to accept delivery of the container, and the clearing agent, Mr. Shokunbi Olanrewaju of Shooler Global International Ltd., are both currently being held as suspects in the seizure.
“Mr. Joseph Nwadiodor, who was supposed to accept delivery of the container, and the clearing agent, Mr. Shokunbi Olanrewaju of Shooler Global International Ltd., are both currently being held as suspects to the seizure.
Similarly, during the same time frame, the Tin-Can Island Port Command of the Service, acting on reliable information, 100% physically inspected a 1 by 40-foot container with the appropriate security agencies at the ports.
The physical check revealed 18 weapons, cartridge packs, and live rounds of ammunition stored in plastic drums. The specifics are as follows: three Taurus G3c – Bainbridge Pistols; one Ruger American Pistol; two Sar9 Sarsilmarz Pistols.
“On Wednesday, July 12, 2023, while conducting a regular sweep along the Owode/Ajilete Axis in Ogun State, members of the Joint Border sweep Team Sector 2 seized three pump action rifles and 174 live rounds in an unregistered Toyota Camry that was laden with six sacks of charcoal.
The car’s driver fled into a thicket to avoid capture since he was aware of the message he was sending and the legal repercussions that would follow.
“To sum up, 31 rifles in total were discovered within the first two weeks of July 2023. The results of the investigation into the seizures are unclear.
The findings of our investigations and the items seized will be given to the relevant authorities for additional inquiry and legal action.
I also urged everyone to view security as a shared duty. Information on the illegal importation and cross-border trafficking of lethal weapons used to wreak havoc in our country will be much appreciated.
