The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has uncovered 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms and a large cache of rifle components following the completion of the coupling and detailed examination of a seized shipment at the Tin Can Island Port Command.
The discovery, which was made public on Sunday, August 9, 2026, represents a major breakthrough in the ongoing efforts by security agencies to curb the smuggling and proliferation of illicit arms in the country.
The development followed an earlier disclosure by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, on Thursday, August 6, that the Service had intercepted a container containing concealed crates of knocked-down components preliminarily identified as Jojef pump-action rifles.
A detailed examination and coupling of the seized components subsequently established that the shipment contained 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms, in addition to numerous critical rifle parts.
Among the supplementary components recovered were 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.
The scale of the seizure has heightened concerns over attempts by criminal elements to exploit Nigeria’s ports and borders for the movement of arms, particularly as the country approaches another election cycle.
Speaking after the initial interception, Adeniyi warned that criminal networks could attempt to take advantage of the increased political activities ahead of the next general elections to smuggle prohibited items into the country.
He said the Customs Service would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations at the nation’s borders, ports and airports to prevent the entry of illicit arms and other prohibited goods.
“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,” Adeniyi said.
The Customs boss also reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to intelligence-led operations, enhanced border surveillance and closer collaboration with sister security agencies to combat arms trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime.
He specifically highlighted collaboration with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), stressing the importance of inter-agency cooperation in identifying and dismantling networks involved in the illicit movement of firearms.
Leadership gathered that following the completion of the inventory and assessment of the seized shipment, the NCS is preparing to formally hand over the recovered firearms and components to the NCCSALW.
The handover is expected to further strengthen ongoing national efforts to remove illicit weapons from circulation and prevent them from falling into the hands of criminal groups, including kidnappers, bandits and other violent elements.
The Customs Service maintained that the seizure underscores the need for sustained intelligence gathering and coordinated action among security agencies, particularly as the country moves towards a major electoral period.
It further vowed to ensure that those behind the attempted importation of the arms are identified, investigated and brought to justice.
Source: Nigeria Customs Service verified Facebook page
