By Suleiman Aremu | Solaremnews
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has uncovered 399 fully assembled Jojef pump-action rifles following the completion of the coupling and detailed examination of a seized arms shipment at the Tin Can Island Port Command in Lagos.
The development, which marks a major breakthrough in the Service’s efforts to prevent the proliferation of illicit arms, was disclosed after Customs officials on Sunday, August 9, 2026, completed the coupling and inventory of the firearms and other components concealed in the consignment.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, had earlier disclosed on Thursday, August 6, that the Service intercepted a container containing crates of knocked-down components suspected to be parts of Jojef pump-action rifles.
A detailed examination of the shipment has now established that the consignment contained 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms, in addition to a substantial quantity of supplementary rifle components.
The recovered parts include 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 or handguards, four pistol grips and five barrels.
The latest discovery has raised further concerns over attempts by criminal elements to exploit Nigeria’s ports and borders to smuggle prohibited weapons into the country, particularly as the nation approaches another major election cycle.
Adeniyi had warned that criminal networks could take advantage of increased political activities and heightened demand for weapons to move arms and other prohibited items through the country’s borders, seaports and airports.
“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,” the Customs chief said.
He said the Service would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to frustrate attempts by criminal networks to bring illicit weapons into Nigeria.
According to him, the interception underscores the importance of intelligence-led enforcement, enhanced border surveillance and sustained collaboration among security and law enforcement agencies.
The Customs Service is also working with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), to identify and dismantle networks involved in the trafficking of arms and other prohibited items.
Following the completion of the inventory and assessment of the seized shipment, Adeniyi said the NCS was preparing to hand over the recovered firearms and components to the NCCSALW.
The planned handover is expected to further strengthen inter-agency efforts to remove illicit weapons from circulation and prevent them from falling into the hands of criminal groups.
The Customs chief stressed that the Service would continue to deploy intelligence, technology and enhanced surveillance to intercept prohibited consignments while facilitating legitimate international trade.
The seizure also highlights the growing security responsibilities of the NCS beyond revenue collection and trade facilitation, particularly in protecting Nigeria’s borders and preventing the movement of arms and other dangerous items into the country.
The Service said its collaboration with sister security agencies would remain critical to tracing the networks behind the shipment, disrupting their operations and ensuring that those responsible are identified and brought to justice.
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