Customs hands over 189,000 seized cartridges to arms control centre
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Niger/Kogi Area Command, has handed over 189,000 cartridges seized during an anti-smuggling operation to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The ammunition, contained in 7,560 packages, was formally transferred to the NCCSALW on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, at the headquarters of the Niger/Kogi Area Command in Minna, Niger State.
The handover was conducted by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Sani Umar, mni, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, dsm, fnipr, psc(+).
The cartridges had been intercepted by officers of the NCS on 18 June 2018 during an enforcement operation aimed at curbing the illicit movement of arms and ammunition.
The Service said the seizure underscored the vigilance of its personnel and their role in preventing prohibited items capable of threatening national security from being smuggled into or through the country.
Receiving the ammunition on behalf of the Director-General of the NCCSALW was the Zonal Director, North Central Zone, Abdul Adamu Eneche, DDGSS (Rtd.), fsi, PhD.
The ceremony was also witnessed by a representative of the State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), as well as senior officers of the Niger/Kogi Area Command.
Speaking at the event, Umar reaffirmed the Customs Service’s commitment to protecting national security through sustained border surveillance, intelligence-led operations and improved information gathering.
He said the formal transfer of the seized ammunition was part of efforts to ensure that items recovered through enforcement operations were properly accounted for, preserved and transferred to the appropriate government authority.
According to him, the process was being carried out in line with extant laws, established procedures and government policy governing the management and disposal of seized arms and ammunition.
Umar stressed that the Customs Service would continue to strengthen its collaboration with sister security and law enforcement agencies to prevent the illicit movement of arms, ammunition and other prohibited goods across Nigeria’s borders.
He noted that the scale and complexity of arms trafficking required effective inter-agency cooperation, particularly among border management, security and law enforcement institutions.
The Customs Area Controller added that collaboration remained critical to safeguarding national security, maintaining peace and ensuring that items recovered during enforcement operations were subjected to the appropriate legal and administrative processes.
He said the Service would sustain its statutory responsibilities of suppressing smuggling while facilitating legitimate trade and supporting broader government efforts to protect Nigerians.
In his remarks, Eneche commended the Comptroller-General of Customs and personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service for their vigilance, professionalism and sustained efforts against the illicit trafficking of arms and ammunition.
He particularly praised the Niger/Kogi Area Command for the recovery, preservation and eventual transfer of the ammunition to the NCCSALW.
Eneche said such cooperation between security and law enforcement agencies was essential to tackling the proliferation and illicit movement of small arms and light weapons across the country.
The handover also highlighted the importance of institutional accountability in the management of seized arms and ammunition, ensuring that such dangerous items do not remain outside the control of the relevant government authorities.
The NCS said the Niger/Kogi Area Command remained committed to its statutory mandate of suppressing smuggling, facilitating legitimate trade and contributing to national security, peace and the wellbeing of Nigerians.
The transfer of the 189,000 cartridges represents another stage in the official management of the ammunition seized more than eight years ago and reinforces the need for sustained coordination among agencies responsible for border security and the control of small arms and light weapons.
