The Nigeria Customs Service at the Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) command has handed over seized arms and ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
In a statement issued on Friday, the command said the contraband items were intercepted on 25 different occasions during routine examinations of imported vehicles between 2022 and 2025. The handover, it added, reflects the service’s commitment to strengthening border security, promoting legitimate trade and deepening collaboration with sister security agencies.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Joe Anani, said the exercise demonstrated the service’s zero tolerance for smuggling and its resolve to ensure that only lawful trade takes place within Nigeria’s borders.
Anani noted that the handover was carried out with the approval of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, under whose leadership the seizures were made.
According to him, the items handed over included five pistols of various makes, one Crossman Pump Master rifle, 132 Remington live cartridges, 51 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition, four 9mm magazines, 40 rounds of assorted 9mm and blank or hollow ammunition, as well as 118 empty 9mm shells.
He explained that the seizures were the result of sustained vigilance and close cooperation with other security agencies operating at the port, stressing that the PTML command remains a no-go area for illegal trade in any form.
Anani also reiterated the command’s commitment to implementing the Revised Kyoto Convention of the World Customs Organisation, which seeks to balance trade facilitation with effective regulatory control.
He further highlighted the impact of the Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation Project, noting that the deployment of the Unified Customs Management System, also known as B’Odogwu, has significantly improved operational efficiency at the command. He added that the command would soon be equipped with cargo scanners to further enhance its ability to detect concealed items such as arms and ammunition.
On revenue performance, Anani disclosed that with two days left in January 2026, the command had generated N44.06bn, exceeding the N40.50bn recorded in January 2025 by N3.56bn, representing an increase of 8.8 per cent.
He commended compliant stakeholders for their cooperation, describing them as critical partners in the command’s achievements.
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“On behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, I formally hand over these seized arms and ammunition to the NCCSALW for appropriate action,” Anani said.
The items were received by the South-West Zonal Coordinator of the NCCSALW, retired Commissioner of Police Mustapha Abiodun Alamutu.
Illegal arms importation involves the unauthorised smuggling of small arms and light weapons into the country, often through seaports, land borders, inland waterways and unapproved routes. The Nigeria Customs Service plays a key role in curbing this threat through enhanced cargo inspection, intelligence-led operations and joint efforts with other security agencies across the country.
