The Federal Operations Unit, Zone C, of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Monday, said it intercepted bomb-making raw materials from smugglers in Benin City, Edo State capital.
The acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Kayode Kolade, while addressing journalists at the unit’s warehouse in Benin City, warned smugglers against importing explosives and other contraband in the interest of humanity or they will have the law to contend with.
The Customs boss said smuggling explosives while the country is still grappling with insecurity is absurd and despicable.
“More worrisome is the interception of 9 sacks 50kg each of explosive materials (fertilizer, device cables and superpower 90 chemicals).
“We all know the security implications if these explosive components get to their destination unchecked. It may interest you to know that Superpower 90 is designed for priming applications and as a column explosive in surface and underground mining and general blasting.
“The high detonation velocity and the robust nature of Superpower 90 make it an ideal primer for the initiation of column charge. Let’s us not just imagine if dynamites and landmines are detonated using these items,“ he said.
He added:
“Nine sacks of 50kg each of explosives’ raw materials; 1,329 bags, 50kg each of smuggled foreign parboiled rice; five cartons of 100mg DSP Cough Syrup with codeine containing 1000 bottles; 1 unit of armoured Bullion Van and 761 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing.
“Others are 883 cartons of various unregistered and expired medicaments including tramadol; 100 cartons of various wines; 5,737 pieces of used pneumatic tyres; 335 cartons of smuggled foreign tomato pastes and 300 cartons of foreign spaghetti.
“The zone also arrested nine suspects in connection with the seizures within the period under review – July 25th to September 23rd 2023.”
