By Ologeh Joseph Chibu
Weapons worth N18bn have been seized at the Rivers State Port located in Port Harcourt. The seizure gives a lot of concern to many Nigerians. Authorities have not named those responsible for the importation of the illegal weapons as at press time.
The consignment contained 848 rifles and 112,500 rounds of life ammunition. Illicit drugs were also conceived in the consignment brought from Italy.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi speaking at Onne on Monday said the eagle-eyed Customs intelligence sighted the illicit weapons.
He said the weapons were concealed inside a 1×40 foot container marked ‘MAEU165396. The drugs on the other hand were concealed in nine cartoons. It is customary for Nigerian authorities to celebrate arrests of importers of illicit weapons but the society hardly see such people prosecuted.
‘Today, we gather to inform you about the recent significant developments in our operations to secure our nation’s borders and ensure public safety,’ the Customs boss said.
Speaking further he said ‘You may recall that at a press briefing of this nature held recently at the Tin Can Island Port Lagos, I had disclosed attempts by criminal elements seeking to exploit our trade facilitation friendly posture to compromise our processes.’
The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons has said the large cache of arms and ammunition intercepted by the Nigerian Customs Service would be destroyed after documentation has been completed.
The centre had received the weapons from Customs.
The Director, Strategic Communications and Information, Group Captain Pius Okwuego, said the weapons were handed over to the centre in Port Harcourt.
He said“The Nigerian Customs Service, under the leadership of Comptroller General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, officially handed over the seized arms and ammunition to the NCCSALW today in Port Harcourt.
“This transfer is a significant step in the collaborative efforts between nationalsecurity agencies to safeguard Nigeria’s borders and public safety,” the statement read.
Speaking further he said “This seizure is a testament to the unwavering contributions of the Nigerian Customs Service to protect our nation from the dangers posed by illicit arms. The NCCSALW will ensure that these weapons are properly documented and destroyed to prevent them from ever posing a threat to our society,” Kokumo was quoted as saying.