Customs Uncovers 399 Assembled Firearms, Dozens of Rifle Parts in Tin Can Port Arms Seizure
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has uncovered 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms and a large cache of rifle components following the completion of the coupling and detailed examination of an arms shipment intercepted at the Tin Can Island Port Command, marking one of the country’s most significant seizures of illicit weapons.
The latest discovery, announced on Sunday, August 9, 2026, followed the earlier disclosure by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, that officers had intercepted a container concealing crates of knocked-down firearm components suspected to be Jojef pump-action rifles.
Following a comprehensive inventory and assembly process, Customs confirmed that the shipment contained 399 fully assembled firearms alongside a substantial quantity of complementary rifle parts.
The recovered components include 89 frames, 16 heat shields, 10 trigger pins, three pistons, 25 locking lugs, 80 charging handles, 39 pistol-grip screws, 34 springs, 57 trigger groups, 66 foregrip latches, 45 foregrips or handguards, four pistol grips and five barrels.
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Speaking earlier on the interception, Adeniyi warned that criminal networks often intensify efforts to smuggle prohibited items into the country as election seasons approach, stressing that the Service was taking proactive steps to prevent illegal arms from entering Nigeria ahead of the next general elections.
“We are about entering a major election cycle and we know that by this period, men of the underworld will want to use our borders, our ports and our airports to bring in items like this. We are going to redouble our efforts to ensure that we do not allow them to do so,” the Customs boss said.
He reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to intelligence-driven enforcement, enhanced border surveillance and closer collaboration with other security agencies to dismantle arms trafficking syndicates while facilitating legitimate trade.
According to Adeniyi, the Service is working closely with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to identify those behind the attempted importation and disrupt their criminal networks.
Following the completion of the inventory and assessment, the Comptroller-General disclosed that the seized weapons would be formally handed over to the NCCSALW as part of ongoing inter-agency efforts to remove illegal arms from circulation and strengthen national security.
The seizure underscores the Nigeria Customs Service’s intensified campaign against illicit arms trafficking and its determination to prevent dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of criminal elements capable of undermining public safety and electoral security.
By PRNigeria
