How multi-billion naira illicit arms entered Nigeria 23 times in 7 years - The Round Table There are growing concerns among Nigerians and other derogatory stakeholders within the security sector over an intensify in importation of illicit arms and ammunition, as well as drugs worth billions of naira through the borders – land and waters, The Round Table reports.
The illegal arms, according to teetotum security officers and experts, are partly responsible for the seeming insurmountable security contends across the country, particularly in the North-West and North-East geopolitical zones. Some of the experts however lauded the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for the successes it recorded in the last few years by intercepting arms and ammunition that would have been used to destabilise the country.
But beyond that, the experts assembled on the Customs Service and other security agencies to go a step further by unraveling the identities of those behind the illicit importation of the arms, and also take them to court.
The Customs Service on Monday, July 1, 2024, in Rivers State, proclaimed that its operatives intercepted a weapon-laden container with a significant cache of arms, ammunition and drugs, with a total duty-paid value of N13.9 billion.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, while briefing journalists at the Onne Port, Rivers State, gave the details of the seizures as a 40-foot container carrying 844 rifles and 12,500 live ammunition rounds, which were concealed using doors, furniture, plumbing fittings, and leather bags.
He stated the six 40-foot containers containing one million bottles of CSC cough syrup with Codeine, 3.5 million Trodol Benzhexol tablets with N9.6 billion duty-paid value and two 40-foot containers with 720 bales of used clothes and N144 million duty-paid value were intercepted.
According to him, the weapon-laden container, which originated from Turkey, based on the number of risk factors associated with the importation, became a subject of interest to the service.
“We went after its sail across continents and we benefitted immensely from authentic information through our collaboration with intelligence communities both at local, national and international levels,” he said.
Multi-billion naira illicit weapons enter Nigeria 23 times in 7 years
Findings by our reporter adjudged that illicit weapons worth billions of naira found their way into the country 23 times within seven years, with whereabouts of many of them unknown.
Data compiled and analyzed by The Round Table showed that those arms and ammunition entered the country through Tin Can Island and Apapa ports, both in Lagos State; Enugu and Cross River land borders; Bukoro axis of Baruten Local Government Area, Kwara State, Igboora axis of Oyo State; Idiroko in Ogun State, among others.
In February, May and September 2017, 66 pump action rifles were seized at the Apapa Port in Lagos; 440 at the Tin Can Island, Lagos; 355 packages of bomb materials at Lagos-Sahco and Nahco Sheds, as well as 1,100 pump action rifles seized at Tin Can Island, Lagos.
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On July 9 and 12, 2018, at least 150 rounds of live ammunition, 28 pieces of numerous jack knives; 149 rounds of 38mm calibre live ammunition, 92 rounds of 9mm calibre live ammunition, two rounds of 7.62mm calibre live ammunition, 11 cartridges of live ammunition, 12 expanded empty shells of numerous calibres and one empty magazine were also intercepted at the Tin Can Island port. Similarly, in November 2018, 4,375 rounds of ammunition, two magnum pump action and 200 military cloak were intercepted in Enugu State.
In Cross River State, 5,200 live ammunition were seized on December 13, 2020, while a pistol and a fully-loaded magazine inside an imported vehicle were intercepted at five star logistics end of Tin Can Island on August 29, 2021.
In the same 2021, on September 26, precisely, 751 pieces of 70mm live lion cartridges were intercepted at Igboora axis of Oyo State.
One week after that, 200 rounds of 7.2mm live ammunition being conveyed to Cameroon, were seized in Cross River State while 550 gun cartridges were intercepted at Adikpo Junction, Benue State in December 2021.
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Data further showed that in December 2021, 64,000 pump action gun cartridges were intercepted at an area assembled Success Line, Marine Modern Market, Onitsha, Awka-north Local Government Area of Anambra State, while another container loaded with guns was also seized on December 17, 2021, at the Tin Can Island in Lagos.
In Bukoro axis of Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, 3,620 rounds of ammunition were seized in January 2022, while one pump action rifle, two locally made guns and 35 live cartridges were intercepted along Idiroko, Ogun State. Furthermore, two rifles and 14 live ammunition were seized in Lagos State in September 2022 and October 12, 2022 respectively.
Before then, in January 2022, military cloak and 450 units of explosive making chemicals were seized.
Six months later, on July 5, 2023, three modern pump action rifles, six different makes of pistols, one millennium G2 pistol, one Sarsilmaz sar – 9x pistol, one forward-looking luger security 9 pistol, 1 tarus nab bridge G3C pistol, 1 sccy cpx – 2 pistol, 1 innovative Taurus (63 pistol) 14 empty magazines and 442 rounds of ammunition were unearthed at Ports and Terminal Multi-Services Limited, Lagos.
In July 2023, at least six different makes of pistols comprising two pieces of Sar9 Sarsimarz pistols, one Ruger American pistol and three pieces of Taurus G3C-Bainbridge pistols as well as another 12 rifles were seized.
Also intercepted in the container were 10 packets of cartridges, two packets of 9mm ammunition, 100 rounds of 9mm Winchester ammunition, one carton of Frontier cartridges and two packets of Buckshot ammunition at Tin Can Island Port. In November 2023, some arms and ammunition were intercepted at the Onne Port, Rivers State.
On March 15, 2024, 11 guns, including pump action guns, six pistols, including semi-automatic arms and pepper spray guns, military vests, among others were intercepted at Tin Can Island.
The latest interception of July 1, 2024, also saw drugs worth over N2 billion, and arms and ammunition worth over N2 billion were intercepted by the operatives of the Customs Service.
Trend portends grave peril – Security experts
A cross-section of crest officers and experts in the security circle, in separate interviews with our reporter, announced there was an urgent call for to curb the trend in impose to rid the country of insecurity.
They revealed naming and shaming the owners of those types of containers would go a long way in tackling the problem.
The Secretary of the Coalition of Concerned Veterans, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, revealed most of the illegal arms arrive in through private jetties that are not being regulated or overpowered by the government.
Durowaiye-Herberts, a retired naval officer, pressed the government to send operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) and other plain-clothed security operatives to those private jetties to huddle intelligence.
He said: “This portends grave hazard for us to declare the least. And so many of these illicit arms would have crossed into the country without being noticed.
“Only God gave the security agencies the opportunity to intercept these ones. Otherwise, there are several ways by which these people (smugglers) bring in these types of illicit arms.
“You know we have pockets of jetties in that axis which are not mastered by the government; it is not like the Nigerian Ports Authority. We have some other jetties through which those arms and ammunition enter the country.
“It is a serious peril honestly. There should be more prudence in our ports. Like I informed you, the private jetties can be easily compromised when money is involved.
“But the government must very careful, and send operatives of the DSS and other plain-clothed officers to those types of jetties to detect the nefarious activities of the people in those private jetties”, he said.
A security expert, Aliyu Garba, wondered why the Customs does not say the identities of the ownership of illegal arms-laden containers when arrested.
“They would need to inform us that proclaiming the identities of the owners of those containers would retard investigations, but the truth of the matter is that, we are not ready to last the menace if we continue to cover the criminals.
“Have you ever heard that Customs handed over anyone to police for prosecution? Have you ever heard that someone was jailed for importing guns illegally? No! This is because you and I cannot embark into that type of business; it is a business for the rich,” Mr Garba said.
A serving military officer, who did not require his name in print, revealed illegal importation of arms would continue to thrive provided the identities of those doing the illegal business continue to be covered.
“We see things every day. We hear things every day. What we see, especially in ports, on waters, in creeks, in jetties and other locations in the maritime areas is so deep and incomprehensible.
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“Unless something drastic is done, we’re far from arriving it right,” the naval officer said.
He disclosed it was important for the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to checkmate all security officers working in maritime domain.
Investigation ongoing – Customs
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When contacted yesterday about the identities of the importers of the seized arms, the spokesman of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, informed our reporter that the investigation was ongoing.
He revealed the Service had since handed over all the weapons to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
“They’re responsible for administering the weapons. They take necessary action in line with their responsibilities. At the same time, there are a lot of engagements going on. There are some arrests. Unfortunately, I’m not really able enough to give you any brief or development about the whole investigation because it is ongoing. The able authority to do that is the agency we have handed over to.
“We’re working in collaboration with them; we’re also liaising with them. They’re also working with the INTERPOL; they’re also collaborating with the Customs administrations of the countries of origin where the arms arrived from. It’s identical efforts that are yielding a lot of fruits. But the details of the investigation cannot be announced because I’m not capable enough to disclose anything on that.
“I’m sure that by the time they’re done with the investigation, they’re going to make this information available to the public,” he said.
NSA’s Office takes custody of seized ammunition
Meanwhile, the ONSA has affirmed taking custody of the arms and ammunition seized from profuse borders across the country.
The NCCSALW, domiciled in the NSA’s Office, announced it would ensure the weapons were properly documented and destroyed to retard them from posing a threat to society.
This was contained in a statement by the Director, Strategic Communications and Information at the Centre, Group Captain Pius Okwuego.
The statement read: “The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) praises the outstanding efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in intercepting a significant cache of illicit arms and ammunition.
“The operation resulted in the seizure of a 40-foot container loaded with 844 rifles and 112,500 live ammunition in Port Harcourt. The intercepted container, identified as MAEU165396, originated from Turkey and was meticulously tracked by the NCS through their robust Risk Management System,” he said.
According to him, three reckons have been detained in connection with the seizure, while further investigations are ongoing to ensure that all parties involved are brought to justice.
Regards to Daily Trust
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Tag: How multibillion naira illicit arms entered Nigeria 23 times in 7 years The Round Table
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Published 10/7/2024