The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 204 pump-action rifles concealed inside a container declared as containing used household goods at the TinCan Island Port in Lagos.
The seizure came less than three weeks after the service intercepted another consignment of firearm components and cannabis-infused snacks at the same port.
According to the Customs Service, the latest consignment was contained in a 20-foot container that arrived from Turkey aboard the vessel MV Algeciras Express on August 16, 2026.
The container was flagged for examination two days later following intelligence received by the service.
A 100 per cent physical examination led to the discovery of firearms concealed among furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergents.
Speaking during a briefing, the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, said the interception followed intelligence that prompted the physical examination.
He said discrepancies were found in the import documents, particularly concerning the identity of the consignee, with investigations continuing to determine the circumstances surrounding the shipment.
Customs officials, working with personnel from the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons under the Office of the National Security Adviser, examined the recovered items.
The exercise led to the identification of 204 MAS 49 ALTER MAGNUM pump-action rifles and several additional firearm components.
The recovered components included trigger pins, locking lugs, charging handles, pistol grip screws, springs, trigger groups, hand guards, forward grip latches, pistol grips, barrels and U-plates.
Bomodi said the interception demonstrated the service’s determination to prevent the smuggling of firearms through Nigeria’s ports and borders.
He recalled that the Comptroller-General of Customs had earlier disclosed another interception of firearm components at TinCan Island Port.
Those components were subsequently assembled into 399 pump-action rifles and handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Bomodi said the latest seizure showed the importance of intelligence-led enforcement, risk profiling and enhanced surveillance.
“The current seizure is a further indication that the Service is maintaining heightened surveillance and intelligence-led enforcement against the illicit movement of firearms through our ports and borders,” he said.
He said the seized firearms had been secured and documented and would be formally handed over to the relevant authorities for statutory action.
Bomodi stressed the importance of cooperation among Customs, the Office of the National Security Adviser and other security agencies in tackling arms trafficking.
He warned smugglers, arms traffickers and their collaborators that Customs would continue to frustrate attempts to bring prohibited firearms into Nigeria.
He said the service was not only interested in intercepting illegal consignments but also in identifying the networks behind the smuggling operations.
“Our objective is to expose the entire chain involved in the illicit movement of firearms, from the source and shipment to the intended destination and beneficiaries,” he said.
He urged members of the trading community, particularly clearing agents with useful information, to assist authorities in identifying those involved in illegal arms imports.
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