Over the weekend, operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun Area 1 Command, intercepted 20 sacks of ammunition worth N18 million en route to the neighbouring Niger Republic.
Politics Nigeria learnt that the sacks, which contained a total number of 1,245 rounds of live cartridges, were intercepted alongside another 203 bags of foreign parboiled rice, each weighing 50kg, at the Ijoun axis of Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Addressing journalists on Monday in Abeokuta, the state capital, Customs’ Controller for the Area 1 Command, Bamidele Makinde, said the contrabands were intercepted at around 0024 hours of Friday, August 12, 2023, by the Roving “B” Team of the Service.
Makinde disclosed that the smugglers resorted to abandoning the contrabands at a bush path of Tombolo Junction, an exit point between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, after a hot chase by the anti-smuggling operatives of the command.
It would be recalled that the Customs’ Controller General Adeniyi had two weeks ago charged the NCS Ogun Area 1 Command, Idiroko Border, to be “extra vigilant” on their duties, stressing that criminals wanting to make supplies to the Niger Republic might want to explore other borders with lesser vigilance to achieve their aims.
Makinde explained that his command had, through credible intelligence, got wind of a planned movement of some prohibited items into the country from the Republic of Benin by “some unscrupulous elements”; hence, his command deployed the necessary arsenal to counter the plans.
His words:
“During an examination of the seized vehicles and the items, about 1,245 rounds of 70mm (2¾) ammunition of Lion, Trust, Supreme and Restar branded cartridges were found to have been ingeniously concealed in 29 bags of the seizure.
“While considering the potential danger of ammunition of such magnitude if successfully smuggled in, we redoubled our efforts to ensure they do not find their way into Nigeria”.
He emphasised that such contrabands threaten the safety of the border communities and national security.
He, however, reiterated the commitment of the Ogun Area 1 Command under his watch towards ensuring maximum security of Nigeria’s borderline “with all sense of patriotism”.
