Barely three weeks interval, another large consignment of arms intercepted at Tin Can Island Port
Barely three weeks interval, another large consignment of arms intercepted at Tin Can Island Port
The Tin Can Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has seized another consignment of illegal firearms concealed among household goods. The 204 pump-action rifles were said to have been smuggled in from Turkey aboard the vessel MV Algeciras Express on August 16, 2026. The container was declared as containing used household items.
The latest seizure is coming barely three weeks after the Command intercepted knocked-down rifle components and cannabis-infused snacks at the port.
Briefing newsmen at a press briefing at the Tin Can Port on Monday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, represented by Deputy Comptroller-General, Enforcement Investigation and Inspection, DCG Timi Bomodi said the latest seizure as the outcome of sustained intelligence gathering and the dedication of officers at the Command.
According to Bomodi, “Based on credible information gathered, a 20-foot container with No. TEMU 184536/9, arrived from Turkey aboard vessel MV Algeciras Express on 16 August 2026, was flagged and subjected to a 100 percent physical examination on 18 August, 2026.”
He disclosed that a search of the container uncovered concealed weapon parts hidden among other goods.
“After thorough examination, the container was found to contain knocked-down firearm components concealed among declared used goods, including furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergent,” Bomodi stated.
He added that investigators had also identified inconsistencies in the shipment’s paperwork.
“Further discrepancies were also discovered in the consignment documents, particularly regarding the identity of the consignee. These discrepancies are part of the ongoing investigation into the shipment and those connected to it,” Bomodi stated.
Following the discovery, the Command constituted a joint team comprising the Nigeria Customs Service Armament Unit and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, under the Office of the National Security Adviser, to assemble the recovered components.
The exercise yielded a total of 204 MAS 49 ALTER MAGNUM pump-action rifles, in addition leftover parts, comprising 39 trigger pins, 58 locking lugs, 53 charging handles, 55 pistol grip screws, 56 springs, 56 trigger groups, 38 forward grips (hand guards), 67 forward grip latches, 56 pistol grips, 54 barrels and 2 U-plates.
Bomodi described the seizure as further evidence that the Service is sustaining heightened surveillance and intelligence-led enforcement against the illicit movement of firearms through Nigeria’s ports and borders.
The recovered items, he said, have been secured and documented, and will be formally handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons for appropriate statutory action.
According to the Customs top official, the operation underscores the importance of intelligence-sharing and collaboration between the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, adding that this whole-of-government approach to tackling arms smuggling and related criminal activities at Nigeria’s ports and borders continues to prove effective.
DCG Bomodi reiterated the Comptroller-General’s warning to smugglers, arms traffickers and their collaborators that illegal arms will not find their way to the wrong end of the value chain, stressing that the space for concealment is becoming increasingly limited.
He said the Service’s risk management system remains robust and effective, with no weak links in its architecture, warning that those who believe firearms can be disguised as household goods, concealed in containers, or imported through false or inconsistent documentation should understand that intelligence-led enforcement, technological tools, profiling and inter-agency collaboration are making such schemes increasingly difficult to execute.
He said the Service would continue to collaborate with relevant authorities to identify, intercept and investigate consignments that pose a threat to national security, stressing that the focus goes beyond the physical seizure of prohibited items to pursuing the networks behind such consignments.
“Our objective is to expose the entire chain involved in the illicit movement of firearms from the source and shipment to the intended destination and beneficiaries,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the Customs Area Controller, Tin Can Island Command, Compt. Joe Anani, said the repeated seizure has sent a clear message that Tin Can Island Port will not be a weak link in the enforcement of import prohibitions, particularly when it concerns dangerous items capable of threatening the peace and security of the country.
“Those who see our port as an easy route to bring prohibited and dangerous items to Nigeria should understand that we will not find a winning partner in Nigerian Customs Service” he warned.
The seized arms were subsequently handed over to the representative of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, South West Zonal Director, CP Abiodun Alamutu (rtd).
Recall that on 18 August 2026, the Comptroller-General of Customs had personally visited the Command to announce the interception of knocked-down firearm components, which were subsequently assembled into 399 pump-action rifles, and formally handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
