After an eight years legal battle, the Nigeria Customs Service, Niger/Kogi Area Command, on 2 September 2026, formally handed over seized ammunition comprising of 7,560 packages containing 189,000 cartridges to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The handover ceremony, which was held at the Niger/Kogi Area Command, Minna, was conducted by the Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Mohammed Sani Umar, mni, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, dsm, fnipr, psc(+).
The ammunition, according to a Press Release signed and issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Assistant Superintendent of Customs I, ASC1 Abubakar Abdulkareem Zakariya onn behalf of the Customs Area Controller was intercepted on 18 June 2018 by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service during an operation that underscored their vigilance and commitment to preventing the illicit movement of arms and ammunition.
The seizure reflects the critical role of the Service in suppressing the smuggling and proliferation of prohibited items capable of undermining national security. Receiving the seized items on behalf of the Director General of the NCCSALW was the Zonal Director, North Central Zone, Abdul Adamu Eneche, DDGSS (Rtd.), fsi, PhD, while the ceremony was also witnessed by the representative of the State Director, Department of State Services (DSS), alongside senior officers of the Niger/Kogi Area Command.
Speaking during the ceremony, according to the press release, Comptroller Mohammed Sani Umar, mni, reaffirmed the Nigeria Customs Service's determination to protect national security through sustained border surveillance, intelligence-led operations, effective information gathering and collaboration with relevant security agencies. He stated that the formal transfer of the seized ammunition demonstrates the Service's commitment to ensuring that seized arms and ammunition are properly accounted for, preserved and transferred to the appropriate authority in accordance with extant laws, established procedures and government policy.
Comptroller Umar further emphasised that the Nigeria Customs Service remains committed to strengthening collaboration with sister security and law enforcement agencies to prevent the illicit movement of arms, ammunition and other prohibited items across the nation's borders. He noted that effective inter-agency cooperation remains essential to safeguarding national security, maintaining peace and ensuring that items recovered through enforcement operations are subjected to appropriate legal and administrative processes.
In his remarks, Abdul Adamu Eneche, DDGSS (Rtd.), fsi, PhD, commended the Comptroller-General of Customs and the Nigeria Customs Service for their vigilance, professionalism and sustained efforts towards combating the illicit trafficking of arms and ammunition. He particularly appreciated the Niger/Kogi Area Command for the successful recovery, preservation and eventual transfer of the seized ammunition to the appropriate authority, noting that such cooperation remains vital to addressing the proliferation and illicit movement of small arms and light weapons.
The handover further demonstrated the importance of inter-agency cooperation and institutional accountability in the management of seized arms and ammunition. The Niger/Kogi Area Command remains resolute in the discharge of its statutory mandate to suppress smuggling, facilitate legitimate trade and contribute meaningfully to the protection of national security, peace and the wellbeing of Nigerians.
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