The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted a shipment of assorted arms and ammunition originating from Turkey, estimated to be worth about ₦4bn. The Controller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, revealed on Monday that the 40-foot container with registration number MAEU165396 had been under surveillance since it left Türkiye. The interception occurred on June 21, 2024, when the Service impounded the container after the importer attempted to bypass protocol. Upon inspection, the container was found to contain 844 rifles:
- 764 units of Tomahawk Jojef Magnum Black Pump Action Rifles
- 10 units of VC Verney Caron Gunmakers Jojef Magnum Silver Pump Action Rifles
- 50 units of VC Verney Caron Gunmaker Double Barrel Rifles
- 20 units of VC Verney Caron Gunmaker Single Barrel Rifles
- Exclusive Series, Sterling High-Quality Live Ammunition 34g – 25 Plastic Shotgun Shells (70MM)
According to Bashir, the rifles and ammunition were concealed using various items such as doors, furniture, plumbing fittings, and leather bags. The Comptroller General stated that the duty-paid value of the container was ₦4,171,710,000.
Three suspects have been arrested and are in custody as investigations continue to uncover the circumstances surrounding the shipment.
In a related development, the Service also displayed eight 40-foot containers that were intercepted and found to contain:
- 1,050,000 bottles of CSC Cough Syrup with Codeine (100ml)
- 3,500,000 tablets of Trodol Benzhexol Tablets (5mg)
- Duty-paid value: ₦9,600,000,000.00
Additionally, two containers were found carrying:
- 720 bales of used clothes
- Duty-paid value: ₦144,000,000.00
The total duty-paid value of the nine displayed containers is ₦13,915,710,000.00.
