Nigeria Customs Hands Over 189,000 Rounds of Ammunition to Arms Control Centre
By Peace Erewunmi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Niger/Kogi Area Command, has handed over 189,000 rounds of live ammunition intercepted in Niger State to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The handover took place in Minna, Niger State, as part of efforts to strengthen the control of illicit arms and ammunition in the country.
The Controller of the Niger/Kogi Area Command, Sani Mohammed Umar, said the ammunition was intercepted by Customs officers around the Wawa axis of Niger State, close to the border, following intelligence on the movement of the consignment.
According to him, the seizure comprised 7,560 packages, with each package containing 25 rounds, bringing the total to 189,000 rounds of live ammunition.
Umar disclosed that the ammunition had remained in Customs custody since 2018 due to court cases and other legal processes.
He warned that allowing such a large quantity of ammunition to enter circulation illegally could have serious consequences, particularly amid the country’s ongoing security challenges.
The Customs official said the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, had directed officers to remain vigilant and strengthen operations along Nigeria’s borders to prevent the movement of illegal arms and ammunition.
Receiving the seized items, the North-Central Zonal Director of the NCCSALW, Abdul Adamu Eneche, commended the Customs Service for its cooperation.
Eneche, who represented the Director-General of the Centre, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, said the ammunition would undergo the necessary procedures before being destroyed.
He explained that the destruction was necessary to ensure the seized ammunition did not return to society or fall into the hands of criminal groups.
The NCCSALW also called for stronger cooperation among security agencies, noting that tackling illegal arms trafficking requires effective information sharing, border control and public awareness.
The development highlights continued efforts by Nigerian security agencies to prevent illicit weapons from reaching criminal elements and to strengthen national security.
