Just a week after the Acting Controller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, issued a red alert against the movement of firearms, the Ogun Area 1 Command of the Service intercepted a shipment of 20 sacks of ammunition enroute to neighboring Niger Republic over the weekend.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

These sacks contained a total of 1,245 live cartridges, and they were apprehended alongside an additional 203 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg. The interception took place at the Ijoun axis of Yewa South Local Government Area in Ogun State….CONTINUE READING

Speaking to reporters on Monday in Abeokuta, the state capital, the Customs’ Controller for the Area 1 Command, Bamidele Makinde, revealed that the contraband was seized around 0024 hours on Friday, August 12, 2023, by the Roving “B” Team of the Service during a routine border patrol.

Makinde explained that the smugglers abandoned the seized items along a bush path near Tombolo Junction, a border exit point between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin. This action was taken after the anti-smuggling operatives of the command pursued them in a hot chase.

Recalling that Customs’ Controller General Adeniyi had urged the NCS Ogun Area 1 Command to maintain extra vigilance due to concerns of criminal activities crossing into the Niger Republic, Makinde highlighted that his command received credible intelligence about the movement of prohibited items from the Republic of Benin into Nigeria by unscrupulous individuals. In response, his command employed necessary measures to thwart these plans.

Makinde noted, “Upon examination of the seized vehicles and items, it was discovered that about 1,245 rounds of 70mm (2¾) ammunition from brands like Lion, Trust, Supreme, and Restar had been cleverly concealed within 29 bags of the seized goods. Recognizing the significant threat posed by such ammunition if successfully smuggled, we intensified our efforts to prevent their entry into Nigeria.”

Highlighting the grave dangers these contraband items pose to both border communities and national security, Makinde reiterated the commitment of the Ogun Area 1 Command under his leadership to ensure utmost security along Nigeria’s border, demonstrating a strong sense of patriotism.