Nigeria Customs Service intercepts 399 assembled Jojef rifles and assorted gun components concealed in a Tin Can Island Port container shipment.
ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 399 fully assembled Jojef rifles and an array of weapon components hidden inside a import container at the Tin Can Island Port Command in Lagos.
NCS National Spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada confirmed the discovery on Sunday following a detailed coupling and examination process. The arms were initially disguised as crates of knocked-down structural components.
Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adeniyi warned that criminal syndicates and illicit networks routinely attempt to exploit maritime ports and land borders to traffic contraband ahead of national political transitions.
“We are entering a major election cycle, and during these periods, criminal networks seek to utilize our ports, borders, and airports to smuggle dangerous items,” Adeniyi stated. “The service will intensify targeted surveillance and enforcement operations to neutralize these trafficking operations.”
Following the final inventory and forensic assessment, the seized weapons will be transferred to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), operating under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Adeniyi emphasized that law enforcement agencies are coordinating intelligence sharing to trace the supply chain, identify the clearing agents involved, and prosecute the individuals behind the illegal import.
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