The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 204 pump-action rifles concealed in a 20-foot container declared as carrying household goods at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The seizure has heightened concerns over attempts by criminal networks to exploit Nigeria’s seaports for the movement of illicit firearms, coming about two weeks after Customs announced the interception of another consignment of firearm components at the same port.
The earlier shipment contained knocked-down components that were assembled into 399 pump-action rifles.
According to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adeniyi, the latest consignment was packed in container number TEMU 184536/9, which arrived at the port aboard MV Algeciras Express from Turkey on 16 August 2026.
Adeniyi, represented at a press briefing by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, said Customs flagged the container and subjected it to a 100 per cent physical examination two days after its arrival.
The inspection allegedly revealed that the contents differed significantly from the declaration. The firearms had been concealed among household items and declared as furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergent.
Further examination of the documentation reportedly uncovered discrepancies, particularly concerning the identity of the consignee, prompting an investigation into the individuals and network linked to the consignment.
Following the discovery, officers from the Customs Armament Unit, working with experts from the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser, assembled the knocked-down components.
The exercise resulted in the recovery of 204 complete MAS 49 Alter Magnum pump-action rifles.
Customs also recovered various firearm components, including 39 trigger pins, 58 locking lugs, 53 charging handles, 55 pistol grip screws, 56 springs, 56 trigger groups, 38 forward grips or hand guards, 67 forward grip latches, 56 pistol grips, 54 barrels and two U-plates.
Adeniyi said the interception demonstrated the importance of intelligence-led operations, risk profiling and technology in preventing prohibited items from entering the country.
He said the NCS risk-management system, supported by intelligence gathering, technological tools and collaboration with other security agencies, was making it increasingly difficult for traffickers to conceal firearms among legitimate imports or evade detection through false declarations.
The seized weapons and components have been secured and documented and will be formally handed over to the NCCSALW, according to Customs.
Adeniyi, however, stressed that the investigation would go beyond the seizure, saying the service would seek to identify and dismantle the networks responsible for importing and distributing the firearms.
The Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Port Command, Joe Anani, warned smugglers against using Nigerian ports to bring prohibited firearms and other dangerous items into the country.
He said repeated interceptions of prohibited consignments demonstrated the command’s vigilance and determination to prevent dangerous weapons from reaching unauthorised users.
“The Tin Can Island Port Command 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 our nation,” Anani said.
He added that the NCS would continue working with other security agencies to frustrate attempts to move illicit arms through Nigerian ports.
Receiving the seized weapons on behalf of the NCCSALW, its South-West Zonal Director, Abiodun Alamutu, said the interception highlighted continuing efforts by criminal networks to circumvent Nigeria’s security system by moving illicit weapons through the country’s borders and ports.
Alamutu commended Customs for detecting the shipment before the weapons could reach unauthorised users, but warned that the proliferation of illicit arms remained a collective security challenge.
He called for continued intelligence sharing and cooperation among security and regulatory agencies, noting that no single institution could tackle arms trafficking effectively on its own.
He assured that the 204 firearms handed over to the centre would be properly registered, managed and secured in accordance with national procedures and international best practices.
