The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 399 Jojeff pump-action rifles and 535 assorted firearm components at the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, raising fresh concerns over attempts to smuggle illicit weapons into Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, on Monday formally handed over the seized firearms and components to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
Adeniyi described the seizure as significant, particularly against the backdrop of the country’s prevailing security challenges, saying the interception had prevented hundreds of firearms from potentially reaching criminal elements.
According to him, the operation also demonstrated the increasing role of technology in detecting illicit consignments at the nation’s ports.
He commended the Federal Government for investing in the modernisation of the Customs Service, noting that improved technology and intelligence gathering were strengthening the agency’s ability to detect suspicious consignments.
“We will not allow the ports and the borders of this country to be used to bring in arms or anything else that threatens the safety of Nigerians,” Adeniyi said.
The Customs boss said the Service would continue to strengthen its intelligence-gathering and risk-management systems while working closely with other security agencies to identify and track individuals involved in arms trafficking.
Adeniyi also disclosed that the Federal High Court in Lagos had remanded two suspects arrested in connection with the seizure, with their arraignment scheduled for August 25, 2026.
He issued a stern warning to Customs personnel who might attempt to facilitate the illegal importation of firearms, stressing that officers involved in such activities would not receive protection from the Service.
“What stands on record today is that these rifles will never be fired in this country,” he said.
“Any officer who lends himself to this trade or who uses his position to ease the passage of goods like this will not and never find shelter or protection within the Nigeria Customs Service.”
Receiving the seized weapons on behalf of the NCCSALW, its Director-General, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Johnson Babatunde (Rtd.), commended Adeniyi and the Nigeria Customs Service for their professionalism and continued cooperation in the fight against illicit arms and ammunition.
Babatunde said the seized weapons would be handled in accordance with Nigerian laws and international best practices governing small arms and light weapons.
He disclosed that the NCCSALW would immediately catalogue, profile and document all the items handed over by the Customs Service.
According to him, serviceable weapons required for authorised use by state security agencies would be properly accounted for, while obsolete, illegal and unserviceable firearms would be destroyed in accordance with established procedures.
The seizure comes amid heightened concerns over the movement of illicit firearms across the country and the possibility that such weapons could be used to fuel violence and insecurity as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The interception has further placed attention on the need for stronger border surveillance, intelligence sharing and inter-agency cooperation to prevent illegal arms from entering Nigeria and reaching criminal networks.