Port and Terminal Multiservices Ltd. (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted prohibited arms and ammunition concealed in imported vehicles.
It also handed them over to the appropriate authority for further action.
The Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Joe Anani, disclosed this on Friday in Lagos during the handover of the seized items to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), South West Zone.
Anani said the interceptions were carried out with the approval of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, under whose supervision the seizures were made, in line with the Service’s mandate to strengthen national security.
He explained that the handover was part of ongoing inter-agency collaboration aimed at curbing the proliferation of illicit arms and safeguarding the country.
According to him, the seized items included five pistols of various makes and a Crosman Pump Master rifle, all concealed within imported vehicles.
“The haul also comprised 132 Remington live cartridges, 51 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition, 40 assorted 9mm blank and hollow rounds, as well as 118 empty 9mm shells.
“A total of four 9mm magazines were also recovered, further underscoring the dangerous intent behind the attempted smuggling,” Anani said.
He disclosed that the arms and ammunition were intercepted on 25 different occasions during routine and intelligence-driven examinations of imported vehicles between 2022 and 2025.
Anani attributed the success to the vigilance, professionalism and collective diligence of officers of the command, working in synergy with other security and regulatory agencies at the port.
He reiterated that the PTML Command remained a no-go area for illegal trade, adding that it would continue to deploy available manpower and technology to block all forms of smuggling.
The area controller also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to the implementation of the Revised Kyoto Convention, a World Customs Organisation instrument designed to balance trade facilitation with effective border control.
Highlighting operational improvements, Anani said the Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation Project, particularly the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), also known as B’Odogwu, had significantly enhanced efficiency at the command.
He added that the PTML Command generated over N44.58 billion in revenue between Jan. 2 and Jan. 29, representing an 8.8 per cent increase over the N40.49 billion recorded in the corresponding period of January 2025.
According to him, the revenue growth was driven by improved stakeholder compliance and the dedication of officers of the command.
Anani further announced that the command would soon receive cargo scanners as part of the modernisation drive, a development expected to further strengthen its capacity to detect concealed contraband.
Receiving the seized items, the South West Coordinator of NCCSALW, retired Commissioner of Police Mustapha Alamutu, commended NCS for its vigilance and consistency in tackling the proliferation of illicit arms.
Alamutu described the handover as a critical step in preventing illegal weapons from falling into the wrong hands and threatening public safety.
