By Alex Akao

Amid growing concerns over insecurity in most parts of the country, the Nigeria Customs Service has announced the seizures of dangerous imports consisting of 15 pump action guns, 4,841 rounds of live ammunition and two sophisticated monitoring drones.

Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Tuesday, head of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lagos, Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu, said the life threatening items were intercepted in a coordinated operations across Ogun and Ondo States, on the basis of credible intelligence.

Giving details of the operation, Comptroller Shuaibu said; “On August 7, 2025, at about 2:13a.m, a patrol team intercepted a Nissan Almera vehicle along Ilara bush paths near the Ogun border.

“The occupants abandoned the car and fled into the forest, leaving behind a deadly cargo concealed under bales of second-hand clothing and cartons of spaghetti.

“A thorough search revealed 15 assorted rifles, including 14 JOJEF Magnum semi-automatic firearms of Italian origin and one Mossberg pump-action shotgun made in the United States”

Comptroller Shuaibu further disclosed other recoveries during the operation to include two bales and one sack of second-hand clothing, and two cartons of spaghetti.”

He added that in a separate operation two days later, “on August 9 at 9:10 a.m., another patrol team along the Akure-Ore axis in Ondo State intercepted a Volkswagen Sprinter bus carrying two industrial drones packed inside a wooden box. One suspect was arrested after failing to present proper documentation for the drones.”

According to the FOU Zone A Customs boss, the duty paid value (DPV) of the seizures, including the firearms, ammunition, drones, and other goods, was estimated at N377,110,800.

He said the arrests demonstrated the Service’s determination under Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, to disrupt the operations of non-state actors and secure Nigeria’s borders.

He stressed that the importation of arms, ammunition, or drones requires valid permits and an End User Certificate from the Office of the National Security Adviser, failure which such imports become illegal.

“Any deviation is a direct assault on national security and will be met with swift and decisive action,” he declared.

He said though the smugglers bolted during the arrest, he however assured that efforts are being intensified to apprehend the fleeing perpetrators of the crime.

He explained that being aware of the severity of the crime, the suspect escaped into the bush taking advantage of the time of night.

Comptroller Shuaibu who lamented the spate of smuggling around the axis argued that the entire officers in Zone A cannot police Ogun 1 Command border regions, considering the porosity of the border.

He commended the professionalism and bravery of his officers, stressing that such operations required serious intelligence gathering and tactical execution, just as he pledged that he would prioritise community engagement and sensitisation aimed at dissuading border communities from engaging in smuggling activities as a way of life.

The seized arms and ammunition were handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) for further investigation and prosecution.