The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has handed over a cache of smuggled arms and ammunition intercepted by its officers to the office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
While the exact value of the seized weapons was not disclosed, officials confirmed that a total of 1,599 assorted firearms and 2,298 live cartridges were transferred to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Lagos on Thursday.
Addressing reporters during the official handing over ceremony of seized arms and ammunition at the Federal Operation Unit Zone “A”, Ikeja, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed that the service has the mandate of protecting national borders through targeted anti-smuggling operations and precise intelligence-driven interventions.
The development comes as part of ongoing efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal arms in the country, which is also coming less than two years after President Bola Tinubu signed the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act 2024 into law on June 4, 2024.
Security experts view this swift legislative move as a testament to the President’s firm commitment to strengthening national security and ensuring lasting peace across Nigeria.
