Why influx of arms at seaports is raising eyebrow

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recently announced the interception of 399 JojefPump-Action Rifles at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos. In this report, TOLA ADENUBI looks at why this trend is disturbing news for the country at this time.

IN a major move against to illegal arms proliferation, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recently finalised the coupling and detailed examination of a massive arms haul seized at the Tin Can Island Port Command, uncovering 399 fully assembled Jojefpump-action firearms alongside a critical assortment of supplementary rifle parts.

The additional rifle parts recovered included 89 frames, 16 heat shields, 10 trigger pins, three pistons, 25 locking lugs, 80 charging handles, 39 pistol-grip screws, 34 springs, 57 trigger groups, 66 foregrip latches, 45 foregrips/handguards, four pistol grips and five barrels.

Speaking during the public display of the seized arms, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi reaffirmed the service’s commitment to intelligence-led enforcement, stronger border surveillance and collaboration with sister security agencies including the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to identify and dismantle trafficking networks while safeguarding national security and facilitating legitimate trade.

Following the complete inventory and assessment of the illicit shipment, the CGC reiterated that NCS is preparing to hand over the seized armaments to the NCCSALW, underscoring a unified inter-agency commitment to taking dangerous weapons entirely off the streets and ensuring that those behind the trafficking network are tracked down and brought to justice.

Disturbing trend ahead elections

Why many view the seized arms as the usual effort of the Customs in ensuring national security, the timing of the seizure calls for concern among patriotic Nigerians.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on why this particular seizure is disturbing, the Head of Research at the Sea Empowerment & Research Center (SEREC), Fwdr. Eugene Nweke, explained that it is increasingly difficult to regard the recurring interception of arms and ammunition, weapons, illicit drugs, prohibited goods, and other sensitive consignments as isolated incidents of smuggling.

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According to Eugene Nweke, “The frequency and nature of these interceptions suggest that Nigeria’s extensive maritime and land-frontier networks are being persistently tested and exploited by transnational criminal syndicates, arms traffickers, drug cartels, organised smuggling networks and potentially terrorist-linked interests seeking to penetrate, transit or establish supply channels through the country’s legitimate trade infrastructure.

“A seized container is not merely a Customs seizure. A prohibited weapon intercepted at a port is potentially a weapon denied to a criminal, terrorist or violent extremist network. The implication is therefore profound: Nigeria’s ports, borders and trade corridors are no longer only economic gateways; they are also strategic national-security frontiers.

“The recurring interceptions should trigger deeper national-security assessment, intelligence coordination and preventive action. Nigeria cannot afford to wait until illicit arms, ammunition, narcotics, terrorist logistics and criminal finances have successfully penetrated the country before responding.

“The activities and expansionist tendencies of banditry, terrorist and violent extremist organisations and other transnational criminal networks operating within and around the West African sub-region must be proactively contained. This concern becomes even more compelling as the nation gradually moves towards the 2027 general electioneering period.

“Election periods can create additional vulnerabilities through heightened political activity, increased movement of people and goods, illicit financing, proliferation of small arms and light weapons, communal tensions and attempts by criminal elements to exploit political instability.

“SEREC therefore urges the Federal Government to intensify intelligence gathering, border surveillance, inter-agency coordination and preventive security measures well ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle, rather than adopting a reactive posture after threats have materialised.”

Supply chain vulnerability

SEREC also considers it imperative that the Government and relevant regulatory institutions broaden the national security conversation beyond Customs and conventional security agencies. Freight forwarders, Customs brokers, licensed bonded terminal operators, shipping and logistics companies and other legitimate trade-chain participants must be deliberately integrated into the national border-security and trade-compliance framework.

“These professionals occupy strategic positions within the supply chain. They often possess information about consignors, consignees, cargo descriptions, documentation, routing, cargo movement and delivery arrangements that may be valuable to enforcement authorities. Yet, there is a troubling dual vulnerability. On the one hand, some legitimate operators may be unknowingly exploited or manipulated as conduits for criminal activities because of inadequate awareness, weak due diligence or insufficient understanding of emerging smuggling techniques.

“On the other hand, it must also be acknowledged without equivocation that there are instances where unscrupulous industry actors knowingly facilitate, participate in or profit from illicit trade. Both dimensions require attention.

“SEREC therefore advocates a comprehensive Port and Border Trade-Security Enlightenment and Compliance Programme involving Customs brokers, freight forwarders, licensed bonded operators and other relevant supply-chain stakeholders.

“Such a programme should cover: Identification of suspicious consignments and trade patterns; Know-Your-Customer and Know-Your-Consignor principles; Document and cargo-risk indicators; Recognition of concealment and diversion techniques; Reporting channels for suspicious transactions and activities; Legal consequences of facilitating prohibited trade; Cyber and documentary fraud awareness; Illicit financial-flow and money-laundering red flags; Responsibilities under national customs and security laws; and protection of legitimate operators from being inadvertently used by criminal networks.

“The objective should not be to criminalise the entire freight-forwarding and Customs-brokerage profession. Rather, it should be to professionalise, educate, sensitise and empower the legitimate trade community to become an additional layer of vigilance within Nigeria’s supply-chain security architecture,” Fwrd. Nweke explained.

Also speaking on next year’s election, the Customs CG, while showcasing the arms seizure stated that: “We are about entering a major election cycle and we know that by this period, men of the underworld will want to use our borders, our ports, our airports to bring in items like this. We are going to redouble our efforts to ensure that we do not allow them to do so.”