The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 204 pump-action rifles concealed in a 20-foot container imported from Turkey through the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The seizure was disclosed on Monday by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who described the operation as another indication of the Service’s intelligence-led approach to combating arms trafficking through Nigeria’s ports.
Adeniyi, represented at the briefing by the Deputy Comptroller-General, Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, said the latest interception followed credible intelligence that prompted Customs officers to subject the container to a 100 per cent physical examination.
According to Bomodi, the container, which arrived aboard the MV Algeciras Express on August 16, 2026, was flagged for inspection and examined two days later.
The inspection uncovered firearm components concealed among declared goods, including furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergent.
“Based on credible information gathered, a 20-foot container, an import from Turkey aboard vessel MV Algeciras Express on 16 August 2026, was flagged and subjected to a 100 per cent physical examination on 18 August 2026,” Bomodi said.
He added that discrepancies were also detected in the shipment’s documentation, particularly concerning the identity of the consignee.
“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,” he said.
Following the discovery, the Customs Command established a joint team involving officers from its Armament Unit and officials of 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 resulted in the recovery of 204 MAS 49 ALTER MAGNUM pump-action rifles.
The operation also produced several leftover 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.
The Comptroller-General had earlier visited the Tin Can Island Port in August to announce another major firearm interception involving knocked-down components.
Those components were subsequently assembled into 399 pump-action rifles and handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Bomodi said the latest interception demonstrated the vigilance of Customs personnel and the value of sustained intelligence gathering in disrupting attempts to move firearms into the country.
He said the recovered weapons and components had been secured and documented and would be formally handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons for appropriate statutory action.
The Deputy Comptroller-General also stressed the importance of cooperation among security agencies in tackling arms trafficking and related criminal activities.
According to him, intelligence-sharing and collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service, the Office of the National Security Adviser and other security agencies remained central to the government’s efforts to prevent illicit arms from entering Nigeria through its ports and borders.
Bomodi reiterated the Customs Service’s warning to smugglers, arms traffickers and their collaborators, saying efforts to conceal illegal firearms in seemingly legitimate consignments were becoming increasingly difficult.
He said Customs’ risk management system remained robust, supported by intelligence, technological tools, profiling and inter-agency cooperation.
Bomodi warned that individuals attempting to disguise firearms as household goods, hide them inside containers or rely on false and inconsistent documentation would increasingly find it difficult to evade detection.
