Concerns As Multi-billion Naira Illicit Firearms Enter Nigeria

Concerns have been raised following the continuous illegal shipping of firearms into Nigeria in the last few years.

Reports obtained by journalists revealed that firearms valued at billions of naira have made their way into the country in the last seven years, with the locations of many remaining unconfirmed as of the time of filing this report.

It was asserted that most of the arms and ammunition were smuggled into the country via the Tin Can Island and Apapa ports in Lagos State, as well as through land borders in Enugu and Cross River, the Bukoro region of Baruten Local Government Area in Kwara State, the Igboora area of Oyo State, and Idiroko in Ogun State, among other entry points.

According to Daily Trust, security officials and experts indicate that these illicit arms contribute significantly to the nation’s severe security issues, particularly in the North-West and North-East regions.

Nonetheless, some experts have praised the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for its achievements in recent years, particularly in intercepting arms and ammunition that could have threatened national stability.

Experts are urging the Customs Service and other security agencies to enhance their efforts by identifying those responsible for the illegal importation of arms and ensuring they face legal consequences.

On July 1, 2024, the Customs Service announced in Rivers State that its operatives had seized a container filled with weapons, along with a substantial quantity of arms, ammunition, and drugs, amounting to a duty-paid value of N13.9 billion.

During a press briefing at the Onne Port, Rivers State, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, provided details of the seizure, which included a 40-foot container containing 844 rifles and 12,500 rounds of live ammunition, cleverly concealed among doors, furniture, plumbing fittings and leather bags.

He also noted the interception of six 40-foot containers carrying one million bottles of CSC cough syrup containing Codeine, along with 3.5 million Trodol Benzhexol tablets valued at N9.6 billion, and two additional 40-foot containers with 720 bales of used clothing valued at N144 million.

According to Adeniyi, the weapon-laden container, which originated from Turkey, attracted the service’s attention due to several associated risk factors.

“We followed its sail across continents and we benefitted immensely from credible information through our collaboration with intelligence communities both at local, national and international levels,” he said.

Firearms Recovery

In February, May, and September of 2017, a total of 66 pump action rifles were confiscated at the Apapa Port in Lagos, alongside 440 rifles at Tin Can Island, Lagos. Additionally, 355 packages containing bomb-making materials were seized at the Lagos-Sahco and Nahco Sheds, and another 1,100 pump action rifles were also taken at Tin Can Island.

On July 9 and 12, 2018, authorities intercepted a significant cache of weapons at Tin Can Island port, including at least 150 rounds of live ammunition, 28 assorted jack knives, 149 rounds of 38mm calibre ammunition, 92 rounds of 9mm calibre ammunition, two rounds of 7.62mm calibre ammunition, 11 cartridges of live ammunition, 12 expanded empty shells of various calibres, and one empty magazine. Furthermore, in November 2018, 4,375 rounds of ammunition, two magnum pump action rifles, and 200 military camouflage items were seized in Enugu State.

In Cross River State, on December 13, 2020, 5,200 rounds of live ammunition were confiscated, while a pistol along with a fully loaded magazine was intercepted within an imported vehicle at the Five Star Logistics terminal of Tin Can Island on August 29, 2021.

Later that year, on September 26, 751 pieces of 70mm live lion cartridges were seized in the Igboora area of Oyo State. A week later, 200 rounds of 7.2mm live ammunition destined for Cameroon were confiscated in Cross River State, and in December 2021, 550 gun cartridges were intercepted at Adikpo Junction in Benue State.

Further data indicated that in December 2021, 64,000 pump action gun cartridges were seized at Success Line, Marine Modern Market, located in the Awka-North Local Government Area of Anambra State. Additionally, another container filled with firearms was confiscated on December 17, 2021, at Tin Can Island in Lagos.

In the Bukoro region of the Baruten Local Government Area in Kwara State, a total of 3,620 rounds of ammunition were confiscated in January 2022. Additionally, authorities intercepted one pump-action rifle, two homemade firearms, and 35 live cartridges along the Idiroko route in Ogun State. In September and October 2022, two rifles and 14 rounds of live ammunition were seized in Lagos State.

Earlier, in January 2022, military camouflage and 450 units of explosive-making chemicals were also confiscated.

On July 5, 2023, a significant discovery was made at Ports and Terminal Multi-Services Limited in Lagos, where three new pump-action rifles, six various types of pistols, including a Millennium G2 pistol, a Sarsilmaz SAR-9x pistol, a new Luger Security 9 pistol, a Taurus G3C pistol, a SCCY CPX-2 pistol, and a new Taurus (63 pistol) were found, along with 14 empty magazines and 442 rounds of ammunition.

In the same month, authorities seized at least six different types of pistols, which included two Sar9 Sarsilmaz pistols, one Ruger American pistol, and three Taurus G3C-Bainbridge pistols, in addition to another 12 rifles.

Further inspections at Tin Can Island Port revealed ten packets of cartridges, two packets of 9mm ammunition, 100 rounds of 9mm Winchester ammunition, one carton of Frontier cartridges, and two packets of Buckshot ammunition. In November 2023, additional arms and ammunition were intercepted at Onne Port in Rivers State.

On March 15, 2024, a significant interception occurred at Tin Can Island, where 11 firearms, including pump-action guns and six pistols (some of which were semi-automatic), along with pepper spray guns and military vests, were seized.

The most recent interception on July 1, 2024, involved operatives of the Customs Service seizing drugs valued at over ₦2 billion, alongside arms and ammunition also worth over ₦2 billion.

There Are Several Ways Arms And Ammunition Are Smuggled Into Nigeria – Security Experts

A group of senior officials and specialists within the security sector have shared their different views with journalists on the trend and how arms and ammunition are illegally shipped into Nigeria.

While expressing their disappointment with the trend, which posed a danger to the populace, the experts suggested that publicly identifying and holding accountable the owners of such containers would significantly contribute to resolving the issue.

Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, the Secretary of the Coalition of Concerned Veterans, indicated that a majority of illegal firearms enter the country through private jetties that lack government oversight and regulation.

Durowaiye-Herberts, a former naval officer, called on the government to deploy operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) and other undercover security personnel to these private jetties to collect intelligence.

He said: “This portends grave danger for us to say the least. And so many of these illicit arms would have crossed into the country without being noticed.

“Only God gave the security agencies the opportunity to intercept these ones. Otherwise, there are several ways by which these people (smugglers) bring in these types of illicit arms.

“You know we have pockets of jetties on that axis that are not controlled by the government; it is not like the Nigerian Ports Authority. We have some other jetties through which those arms and ammunition enter the country.

“It is a serious danger, honestly. There should be more vigilance in our ports. Like I told you, the private jetties can be easily compromised when money is involved.

“But the government must be very careful and send operatives of the DSS and other plain-clothed officers to those types of jetties to detect the nefarious activities of the people in those private jetties.”

On his part, a security expert, Aliyu Garba, wondered why Customs does not disclose the identity of the owner of illegal arms-laden containers when arrested.

“They would want to tell us that revealing the identities of the owners of those containers would hamper investigations, but the truth of the matter is that we are not ready to end the menace if we continue to cover the criminals.

“Have you ever heard that Customs handed over anyone to police for prosecution? Have you ever heard that someone was jailed for importing guns illegally? No! This is because you and I cannot venture into that type of business; it is a business for the rich,” Garba said to journalists.

Meanwhile, a serving military officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said illegal importation of arms would continue to thrive provided the identities of those doing the illegal business continue to be covered.

“We see things every day. We hear things every day. What we see, especially in ports, on waters, in creeks, in jetties and other locations in the maritime areas is so deep and incomprehensible.

“Unless something drastic is done, we’re far from getting it right,” the naval officer said.

He said it was important for the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to checkmate all security officers working in the maritime domain.

Nigeria Customs Response

When contacted about the illegal firearms importation and those behind this importation, the spokesman of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, told newsmen that the service is investigating the situation.

He said the Service had since handed over all the weapons to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

“They’re responsible for managing the weapons. They take necessary action in line with their responsibilities. At the same time, there are a lot of engagements going on. There are some arrests. Unfortunately, I’m not really competent enough to give you any brief or development about the whole investigation because it is ongoing. The competent authority to do that is the agency we have handed over to.

“We’re working in collaboration with them; we’re also liaising with them. They’re also working with the INTERPOL; they’re also collaborating with the Customs administrations of the countries of origin where the arms came from. It’s joint efforts that are yielding a lot of fruits. But the details of the investigation cannot be disclosed because I’m not competent enough to say anything on that.

“I’m sure that by the time they’re done with the investigation, they’re going to make this information available to the public,” he said.

NSA’s Office takes custody of seized ammunition

Meanwhile, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has officially announced that it has taken custody of the arms and ammunition confiscated from multiple borders throughout the nation.

The NCCSALW, located within the NSA’s Office, stated its commitment to ensuring that the weapons are accurately documented and subsequently destroyed to mitigate any potential threat to public safety.

This information was provided in a statement by the Director of Strategic Communications and Information at the Centre, Group Captain Pius Okwuego.

The statement read: “The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) applauds the outstanding efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in intercepting a significant cache of illicit arms and ammunition.

“The operation resulted in the seizure of a 40-foot container loaded with 844 rifles and 112,500 live ammunition in Port Harcourt. The intercepted container, identified as MAEU165396, originated from Turkey and was meticulously tracked by the NCS through their robust Risk Management System.”

Okwuego noted that three suspects have been detained in connection with the seizure, while further investigations are ongoing to ensure that all parties involved are brought to justice.

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