By Sandra Chukwunyere
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has uncovered the identities of two importers allegedly behind the shipment of 399 fully assembled JOJEF pump-action rifles and other firearm components intercepted at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos.
The suspects, identified as Robert Eze and Ejiogu Godson, were arrested in connection with the consignment and have been remanded by the Federal High Court in Lagos, with their arraignment scheduled for August 25, 2026.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed their identities on Monday in Lagos while handing over the seized firearms to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
According to Adeniyi, the container conveying the weapons arrived at the Tin-Can Island Port on July 8 aboard the vessel MV VELIKA. It was subsequently flagged by the Customs risk management system for examination.
The inspection uncovered 399 rifles and other firearm components that had been dismantled and concealed in knocked-down form.
Adeniyi said the discovery was the result of intelligence-driven risk management and technology, rather than a random physical inspection.
He explained that the Customs Service could not open every container entering the country, stressing that an effective risk management system enables officers to identify consignments requiring closer scrutiny.
The Customs CG said the seizure demonstrated the impact of investments under the Trade Modernisation Project, particularly the B’Odogwu platform, which integrates cargo clearance, automated risk management, cargo tracking and non-intrusive inspection.
“Look carefully at what is laid out on these tables. 399 rifles. Somebody paid for them. Somebody arranged their shipment. Somebody was waiting at this end to collect them,” Adeniyi said.
He warned that the quantity of firearms could have had serious consequences if the weapons had reached criminal elements.
According to him, Nigeria is already contending with terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime, with illicit firearms often playing a major role in such activities.
He also raised concerns over the approaching electioneering season, warning that hundreds of firearms in the wrong hands could threaten the peace of communities and undermine democratic activities.
Adeniyi disclosed that one of the suspects was arrested on July 31 at a bonded terminal while allegedly attempting to procure the release of the container.
He said both suspects had been remanded by the Federal High Court in Lagos and that their arraignment was scheduled for August 25.
The Customs boss described the operation as a complete enforcement chain, involving the identification and interception of the suspicious consignment, arrest of the suspects, court proceedings and the eventual transfer of the weapons to the national authority responsible for their control.
He commended the officers and men of the Tin-Can Island Port Command for detecting the shipment despite efforts to conceal the firearms.
Adeniyi assured Nigerians that the Customs Service would continue to strengthen its risk management systems and work closely with sister security agencies to prevent the nation’s ports, borders and airports from being used for the illegal importation of firearms and other dangerous items.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the NCCSALW, Johnson Kokumo, disclosed that the Centre has received more than 21,000 Small Arms and Light Weapons from the Nigeria Customs Service since its establishment.
He added that more than 19,000 of the weapons had already been destroyed.
Kokumo described the handover of the 399 rifles as a significant step in the fight against the proliferation of illicit firearms and the protection of lives and property across the country.
He commended the Comptroller-General of Customs and officers of the Service for their continued cooperation with the NCCSALW in recovering illicit weapons during enforcement operations.
According to Kokumo, removing illicit weapons from the hands of non-state actors represents a direct blow to criminal networks and an important step towards safeguarding innocent citizens.
He assured that the firearms handed over to the Centre would be properly managed, documented and accounted for to ensure that they do not find their way back into the hands of criminal elements.
Kokumo said the NCCSALW would immediately catalogue, profile and document every weapon received during the handover.
He explained that serviceable weapons required for authorised state security use would be properly accounted for, while obsolete, illegal and unserviceable firearms would be destroyed in accordance with established procedures.
He further assured that the management of the weapons would be carried out in compliance with national legislation and relevant international and regional frameworks on the prevention and control of illicit small arms and light weapons.
The handover marked another significant collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and the NCCSALW in the fight against the illegal movement and proliferation of firearms in Nigeria.
The two suspects remain accused persons and have not been convicted of any offence. Their alleged involvement in the shipment will be determined by the Federal High Court.
