Customs Cracks Down on Illegal Arms Smuggling

The Nigerian Customs Service says it has intensified patrols on discovered illegal routes in Lagos and Ogun States to curb the illegal smuggling of firearms into the country.

Uche Ejesieme, the public relations officer at the service, says that the Comptroller-General of Customs was worried over the proliferation of firearms in Nigeria, therefore gave an order to intensify patrols.

"We have identified some flash points where we have intensified patrols so that unwanted goods such as illegal arms do not find their way into the country.

"Some of the unapproved routes found in Ogun axis have been blocked by our patrols.

Ejesieme said that no firearm smugglers had been arrested in the zone in recent.

He said that other stakeholders, including freight forwarders, importers, members of customs consultative council, rice millers and other sister security agencies had also assisted in checking firearms smuggling.

He said that these efforts had led to the arrest of a petrol tanker used in smuggling the largest consignment of poultry products in the zone.

He said that the zone also had embarked on a mass sensitization and enlightenment programmers to educate the people living around the borders on the danger of smuggling.