CUSTOMS SEIZES 204 RIFLES CONCEALED IN HOUSEHOLD GOODS AT LAGOS PORT

The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted a shipment containing 204 pump-action rifles and several firearm components at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, after the weapons were allegedly concealed inside a container declared to contain household items.

The 20-foot container, numbered TEMU 184536/9, arrived at the Lagos port aboard the MV Algeciras Express from Turkey on August 16, 2026. Customs officials flagged the consignment and subjected it to a 100 per cent physical examination two days after its arrival.

According to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, the contents of the container did not match the declaration submitted by the importer. The shipment had allegedly been declared as containing items including furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergent, but officers discovered firearms hidden among the goods.

Further examination also revealed inconsistencies in the importation documents, particularly concerning the identity of the consignee. The discrepancies have prompted Customs to investigate the individuals and possible network connected to the shipment.

Following the discovery, the Customs Armament Unit worked with specialists from the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons under the Office of the National Security Adviser to examine and assemble the dismantled firearm components.

The exercise resulted in the recovery of 204 complete MAS 49 Alter Magnum pump-action rifles, alongside dozens of additional firearm components. These included trigger pins, locking lugs, charging handles, springs, trigger groups, hand guards, pistol grips and barrels.

Adeniyi said the seizure demonstrated the importance of intelligence-led enforcement, risk profiling and the use of technology in detecting prohibited goods. He added that the Customs Service would investigate beyond the seizure in an effort to identify and dismantle the network responsible for attempting to move the weapons into Nigeria.

The Customs Area Controller at Tin Can Island Port, Joe Anani, warned individuals involved in arms smuggling against using Nigerian seaports to bring prohibited weapons into the country.

He said the latest interception showed that the command remained committed to preventing dangerous items from reaching unauthorised users and would continue working with other security agencies to block attempts to smuggle arms through the country's ports.

Receiving the seized weapons on behalf of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, its South-West Zonal Director, Abiodun Alamutu, said the interception highlighted continued attempts by criminal networks to exploit Nigeria's borders and ports to move illicit weapons.

Alamutu commended Customs for detecting the shipment before the weapons could reach unauthorised individuals, but stressed that the proliferation of illegal firearms remained a collective security challenge requiring sustained intelligence sharing and cooperation among government agencies.

The seized weapons will be formally registered, managed and secured by the appropriate authorities in accordance with national procedures and international best practices.

The latest seizure comes barely two weeks after Customs announced another interception of firearm components at the same port, with the earlier consignment eventually producing 399 pump-action rifles after the components were assembled.