The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted components believed to be parts of more than 140 pump action rifles and seized cannabis infused products with a combined street value of N373.8 million at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the seizures at the Tin Can Island Port Command on Thursday, August 6, 2026, describing the operations as a major boost to ongoing efforts to prevent the movement of illicit weapons and narcotics through Nigeria’s ports.
According to him, the arms components were discovered in a container that arrived aboard MV VELIKA on July 8, 2026. The consignment had been flagged for enhanced examination by the Service’s intelligence driven risk management system.
A physical examination of the container subsequently uncovered concealed crates containing knocked down components preliminarily identified as JoJeff pump action rifles. The discovery, the Service said, prevented the potential entry of a significant quantity of firearms into the country.
The CGC disclosed that two suspects had been arrested in connection with the arms seizure, while another principal suspect remained at large and was being actively tracked by the relevant security authorities.
In a separate operation, Customs officers intercepted two 40 foot containers containing cannabis infused cookies, gummies and pre roll products concealed alongside used vehicles, generators, batteries and other imported items.
The seized drug products comprised 109 cartons of Delta 8 cannabis infused pre roll cookies, 125 cartons of Delta 8 cannabis infused gummies and 73 cartons of cannabis infused cookies. The combined street value of the illicit consignments was put at N373,802,640.
Adeniyi said the seizures highlighted the growing sophistication of transnational criminal networks that exploit legitimate trade channels to move prohibited weapons and narcotics into Nigeria.
He said the successful interceptions demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence gathering, advanced risk profiling and collaboration among Customs and other security agencies. He added that the Service would continue to strengthen its capacity to detect suspicious consignments before they enter the country.
The Comptroller General warned that criminal elements could attempt to exploit Nigeria’s borders, seaports and airports as the country approaches another major election cycle. He said the Customs Service would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to prevent the movement of weapons and other materials capable of threatening national security.
Adeniyi also warned against internal compromise, stressing that the NCS would not shield officers or accomplices involved in facilitating the illegal importation of weapons and narcotics. He commended officers of the Tin Can Island Port Command and the Customs Enforcement Unit for their vigilance, while urging members of the public to provide credible intelligence that could assist ongoing investigations, arrests and prosecution.