Last week, the Federal Operations Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service [NCS] made a startling revelation that its men had intercepted 661 pump action rifles in Lagos which were criminally imported into the country. A Mack truck ferrying the weapons was arrested along the Mile 2 Apapa Road containing 49 boxes of the pump-action rifles. Also, the manifest that followed the truck stated that it carried steel doors but some curious Customs officials discovered otherwise as the contents turned out to be deadly weapons.
Evidently, the consignment of rifles found its way into Nigeria with the unpatriotic collaboration of some Customs officials whose names were later given as Abdullahi I. and Odiba Haruna Idah. NCS’ Comptroller-General Col. Hameed Ali said at a press conference in Lagos that the weapons had already left the ports but undercover Customs agents went after the truck. He said investigations were ongoing but that some suspects had been arrested. We are glad that the weapons importer, clearing agent and escort who were all arrested along with the cargo. A female Assistant Controller of Customs who reportedly authorized the consignment’s release is in detention at the FOU cell in Ikeja. The duo of Abdullahi and Haruna, who reportedly aided and abetted the release of the containers, later submitted themselves to the authorities. This is good news because more revelations would come out from them.
The landmark interception of these deadly weapons did not come at a better time considering the precarious security situation in Nigeria which is being confronted head on by our various security agencies. Activities of unpatriotic elements that are sabotaging the activities of our security agencies must be put to a halt. However, the question in the lips of all Nigerians is, what was this huge arsenal meant for? Were they destined for Boko Haram, oil saboteurs, Niger Delta militants, invisible Fulani herdsmen, assorted communal warriors, kidnappers, armed robbers or desperate politicians preparing for the 2019 elections? The simple fact is that whoever was responsible for the importation of this cache of arms does not mean well for Nigeria and must be made to face the full wrath of the law.
We congratulate the Customs for uncovering this monumental security breach and the patriotic officers should be adequately rewarded by way of promotion and other incentives in order to encourage others. Curiously, this is not the first time that this kind of discovery was made in recent times. The rifles are under absolute import prohibition; therefore their importation is illegal and we strongly believe that the discovery is just the tip of the iceberg and therefore, our Customs agents at the sea ports, airports and land borders must remain vigilant.
It is however a great source of worry that despite sophisticated scanners, large scale importations of weapons are being illegally carried out through the sea ports, heightening fears of elaborate cartels involving various officials. For instance, in December 2016, Customs at the Tin Can Islands Port Command intercepted a cache of arms, ammunition and military gadgets being smuggled into the country from the United States. Before that, Customs still at the Tin Can Island port also intercepted 980 rounds of 9mm ammunition at about the same time when its operatives impounded a cache of arms, including six double barrel guns abandoned at the strong room of the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Limited (NAHCO).
It is no longer news that arms proliferation has reached alarming proportions in Nigeria, a development that makes conflicts occasioned by wanton loss of lives of innocent people very easy. Various criminals get their supplies through these illegal but carefully crafted means of bringing in arms into the country. However, the increased arrest of all these contraband is manifest of the new leadership in the Nigerian Customs which should be commended and encouraged to keep the tempo.
*This piece first appeared in DailyTrust 06/02/2017.
