Barely a week after it intercepted a
20-foot container load of 1,100 pump action rifles, the Tin Can Island
Command of Nigeria Customs Service, Monday, uncovered yet another set of
475 rifles shipped in by the same importer.
1,100 Jojef Magnum
Pump Action and Jojef Magnum Plastic Single Barrels Hunting Gun Pump
Action Rifles seized by Customs at Lagos Tin-Can Vanguard gathered that
the guns were discovered after the Customs Area Controller of the
Command, Comptroller Bashir Yussuf, ordered a detailed profiling of the
importer of the 1,100 rifles intercepted last week. The container,
belonging to the same importer, with marked CMAU189817/8.
This
is the fourth seizure at Tin Can Island Port within eight months.
Recall that Customs arrested four persons but disclosed only two to the
press. One of those arrested is said to be a senior staff of Tin Can
Island Container Terminal, TICT. An eyewitness acount A source, who
witnessed the examination of the container, told Vanguard that the
rifles were concealed with small connecting pipes.
The source
said: “The container is owned by the same importer of the 1,100 guns.
After a detailed profiling of the importer ordered by the Area
Controller, it was discovered that he still has another container inside
the port; so they fished it out. “But I don’t know why they are hiding
the identity of the importer.. It could even be the government
themselves importing these weapons.”
At press time yesterday,
the container was being examined at the enforcement unit of Customs,
while a large number of Customs Intelligence Officers, CIU, and
enforcement officers barred port users from witnessing the counting of
the guns. I’m not aware—Spokesman However, when he was contacted,
spokesman of Tin Can Customs, Uche Ejesieme, could not confirm the
development, saying “I am not aware and I don’t know anything about it.”
Efforts to reach the Deputy Controller in charge of enforcement at Tin
Can Port, Mr. Dera Nnadi, proved abortive as all calls to his phone were
not answered.
Recall that the Comptroller General of Customs,
Col Hameed Ali (retd.) had last Monday, displayed 1,100 rifles imported
into Tin Can port from Turkey. The importation came through the Tin Can
Island Container Terminal, TICT. A customs officer and Terminal Clerk of
the terminal were arrested in connection with the seizure. Ali said the
Customs will hold the terminal operator responsible for the illegal
import and queried how the container found its way into the examination
bay, even though it was not positioned or listed for examination. He
said the all the guns were imported from Turkey. He added that the bill
of lading of the container falsely indicated the content to be wash hand
basins and water closets, but a thorough examination revealed that it
contained 600 pieces of Jojef Magnum Black Pump Action Rifles.
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