Customs Names Importers Linked to 399 Pump-Action Rifles Seized at Lagos Port
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has identified Robert Eze and Ejiogu Godson as the importers allegedly linked to the shipment of 399 fully assembled JOJEF pump-action rifles and firearm components intercepted at Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos.
The weapons were discovered in a container that arrived at the port on July 8 aboard the vessel MV VELIKA.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the identities of the suspects in Lagos on Monday while handing over the seized weapons to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
According to Adeniyi, both suspects were arrested while allegedly attempting to clear the consignment.
How the weapons were intercepted
Adeniyi explained that the container was selected for inspection after being flagged by the Customs risk-management system.
He said the firearms had been dismantled and concealed in the container in an attempt to make them less recognisable during routine cargo processing.
The Customs boss said the quantity of weapons was particularly concerning given the security challenges facing the country, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
He also warned about the potential danger of hundreds of firearms entering circulation as Nigeria approaches another election season.
According to him, the seizure demonstrated the importance of technology in modern customs operations, particularly the automated risk-management and cargo-tracking systems introduced under the Trade Modernisation Project.
He explained that Customs could not physically inspect every container entering the country, making risk-based technology essential in identifying suspicious shipments for examination.
Suspects remanded in custody
Adeniyi said the investigation did not end with the seizure of the weapons.
According to him, one of the suspects was arrested on July 31 at a bonded terminal while allegedly attempting to facilitate the release of the container.
Both suspects have reportedly been remanded by the Federal High Court in Lagos, with their arraignment scheduled for August 25, 2026.
The Customs chief said the weapons were subsequently handed over to the NCCSALW, which operates under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
He commended officers of the Tin-Can Island Port Command for detecting and intercepting the shipment.
Adeniyi also warned that Customs would continue strengthening its monitoring systems and working with other security agencies to prevent Nigeria’s ports and borders from being used to smuggle illicit weapons into the country.
Over 21,000 weapons recovered
Speaking during the handover, the National Coordinator of the NCCSALW, Johnson Kokumo, said the agency had so far received more than 21,000 small arms and light weapons since its establishment.
He added that over 19,000 weapons had been destroyed.
Kokumo commended the Customs Service for its cooperation in efforts to combat the proliferation of illegal firearms across the country.
He described the removal of illicit weapons from the hands of non-state actors as an important step towards weakening criminal networks and protecting civilians.
Weapons to be documented and managed
Kokumo assured that the newly recovered weapons would be handled in accordance with Nigerian laws and international standards.
He said the NCCSALW would catalogue, profile and document every weapon received from the Customs Service.
Weapons considered suitable for authorised security use would be properly accounted for, while illegal, obsolete or unserviceable firearms would be destroyed in line with established procedures.
The seizure and subsequent arrests come amid heightened efforts by Nigerian security agencies to prevent the trafficking and circulation of illegal firearms, which authorities say continue to fuel violent crimes across the country.
