The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has completed the coupling and detailed examination of a seized shipment at the Tin Can Island Port Command, uncovering 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms and a large quantity of additional rifle components.
The development, announced on Sunday, August 9, 2026, followed the disclosure by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, on Thursday that the Service had intercepted a container containing crates of concealed knocked-down components preliminarily identified as Jojef pump-action rifles.
The detailed examination and inventory of the shipment subsequently established that the consignment contained 399 fully assembled firearms.
Customs officials also recovered 89 frames, 16 heat shields, 10 trigger pins, three pistons, 25 locking lugs, 80 charging handles, 39 pistol-grip screws, 34 springs, 57 trigger groups, 66 foregrip latches, 45 foregrips/handguards, four pistol grips and five barrels.
The seizure comes amid heightened concerns over attempts by criminal networks to exploit Nigeria’s borders, seaports and airports to move prohibited items into the country, particularly as the nation approaches another major electoral cycle.
Speaking after the initial interception, Adeniyi warned that criminal elements could intensify efforts to smuggle arms and other prohibited items into the country ahead of the elections.
“We are about entering a major election cycle and we know that by this period, men of the underworld will want to use our borders, our ports, our airports to bring in items like this. We are going to redouble our efforts to ensure that we do not allow them to do so,” he said.
The Customs boss said the Service would sustain intelligence-led enforcement operations and strengthen surveillance across Nigeria’s borders and entry points to frustrate the movement of illicit arms and other prohibited goods.
He also stressed the importance of collaboration with sister security agencies, particularly the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in tackling arms trafficking and dismantling criminal networks.
Following the completion of the coupling, examination and inventory of the seized consignment, the NCS said preparations were underway to hand over the recovered firearms and related components to the NCCSALW.
The latest seizure underscored the Customs Service’s intensified efforts to prevent the influx of illicit arms into the country while protecting national security and facilitating legitimate trade.
Authorities are expected to continue investigations aimed at identifying the individuals and networks responsible for the attempted importation and bringing those behind the shipment to justice.
