Customs FOU ‘A’ Intercepts 15 Rifles, 4,841 Rounds, Drones Worth ₦377m in Ogun, Ondo

By Amina Ojelabi

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, has seized 15 rifles, 4,841 rounds of live ammunition, and two industrial drones in coordinated anti-smuggling operations across Ogun and Ondo States.

The items, with a duty paid value of ₦377.1 million, mark one of the unit’s most significant busts against arms trafficking in recent months.
Announcing the seizure on Tuesday, Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu said the operations were guided by credible intelligence and executed with precision by his officers.

According to him, on August 7, 2025, at about 2:13 a.m., a patrol team intercepted a Nissan Almera along Ilara bush paths near the Ogun border. The occupants fled into the forest, abandoning the vehicle loaded with concealed arms.

“A thorough search revealed 15 assorted rifles including 14 JOJEF Magnum semi-automatic firearms of Italian origin and one Mossberg pump-action shotgun from the United States. Officers also recovered 4,841 rounds of live ammunition, two bales and one sack of second-hand clothing, and two cartons of spaghetti,” Shuaibu disclosed.

In a separate operation on August 9, 2025, at about 9:10 a.m., another patrol team intercepted a Volkswagen Sprinter bus along the Akure-Ore axis in Ondo State. Inside a wooden box, officers discovered two industrial drones. One suspect was arrested after failing to present proper documentation.

Shuaibu stressed that the seizures underscored Customs’ determination to cripple non-state actors undermining national security.
“The importation of arms, ammunition, or drones requires valid permits and an End User Certificate from the Office of the National Security Adviser. Any deviation is a direct assault on national security and will be met with swift and decisive action,” he warned.

While smugglers in the first incident remain at large, he assured that efforts are ongoing to track and apprehend them. The seized arms and ammunition have since been handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) for further investigation and prosecution.