Customs Intercept 399 Rifles, 535 Parts At Tincan Port

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms and 535 assorted rifle parts concealed in a shipment intercepted at the Tin Can Island Port Command.

The seizure, which represents a major blow to the illegal proliferation of arms, was confirmed on Sunday, August 9, 2026, following the completion of the coupling and detailed examination of the intercepted shipment.

The development followed the disclosure by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, on Thursday, August 6, 2026, that the Service had intercepted a container containing concealed crates of knocked-down components preliminarily identified as Jojef pump-action rifles.

Following the completion of the coupling and inventory of the shipment, Customs uncovered 399 fully assembled Jojef rifles alongside 535 additional firearm 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/handguards, four pistol grips and five barrels.

The seizure comes amid heightened concerns over the possible movement of prohibited arms and other dangerous items through Nigeria’s borders, ports and airports ahead of the next general elections.

Adeniyi had warned that criminal networks could seek to exploit the country’s entry points to move prohibited items into Nigeria, assuring that the Service would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to prevent such activities.

“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,” Adeniyi said.

The Comptroller-General reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to intelligence-led enforcement, stronger border surveillance and enhanced collaboration with sister security agencies to tackle arms trafficking and other forms of transnational crime.

He said the Service would continue to work with agencies, including 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 criminal networks involved in the movement of illicit arms.

Following the detailed examination and assessment of the seized shipment, the NCS is preparing to hand over the recovered firearms and components to the NCCSALW.

The planned handover is expected to strengthen inter-agency efforts to ensure that the seized weapons are taken out of circulation, while investigations continue to track down and prosecute those behind the trafficking network.

The Customs Service said the operation underscores the importance of intelligence-driven border control and coordinated security operations in protecting national security while facilitating legitimate trade.