The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has formally handed over 1,599 assorted arms and 2,298 live cartridges to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). The arms, seized in 2018 at the Tin Can Island Port, were presented to the NCCSALW on Thursday, 13 February 2025, at the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, emphasized the NCS’s dedication to safeguarding national borders and public safety. “We will exhaust all resources to identify, expose, and prosecute individuals attempting to compromise national security through arms trafficking,” he stated.
Adeniyi commended the officers involved in the seizures and the Forensics Unit for securing convictions. He assured the public of the Service’s commitment to protecting legitimate trade while prioritizing national security. “We are prepared to utilize our intelligence and enforcement capabilities to safeguard legitimate trade and ensure Nigeria’s security interests remain paramount,” he added.
The Director-General of NCCSALW, DIG Johnson Babatunde (Rtd), received the items on behalf of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. He ensured that the weapons would be handled according to international conventions. “As a signatory to the ECOWAS Convention, we will adhere to international best practices,” he said. Babatunde urged stakeholders to remain vigilant and collaborate to maintain the country’s resilience against illicit weaponry.
