The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over 1,599 assorted arms and 2,298 live cartridges to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The arms, seized in 2018 in three containers at the Tin Can Island Port, were formally handed over to the NCCSALW on Thursday, at the headquarters of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, Lagos.
During a brief hand over ceremony, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the transfer of the arms and ammunitions demonstrated the NCS’s commitment to protecting national borders and maintaining public safety.
“We will spare no resource in hunting down, exposing, and prosecuting anyone who attempts to compromise our national security through arms trafficking,” he said.
The CGC also commended the professionalism and courage of officers involved in the seizures and the Forensics Unit for their role in securing convictions.
He assured the public of the Service’s commitment to protecting legitimate trade while ensuring national security.
“We stand ready to deploy our full arsenal of intelligence and enforcement capabilities to protect legitimate trade as we ensure Nigeria’s security interests remain paramount,” he added.
The Director-General of NCCSALW, DIG Johnson Babatunde (Rtd), received the items on behalf of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. He assured that the weapons would be handled in accordance with international conventions.
“Nigeria is a signatory to the ECOWAS Convention, and we will not do anything short of international best practice,” he said.
He urged all stakeholders to remain vigilant and to continue collaborating to ensure the country remains resilient against the scourge of illicit weaponry.
