Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC), have intercepted a container loaded with 1,100 pieces of pump action rifles at Tin Can Port, Apapa, Lagos, making a total of 2,201 at different times this year and they all have a history of coming from Turkey.
This is the third time, between February and September 2017, that containers loaded with weapons will be intercepted by the Customs in Nigeria. The first was in February 2017, with the recovery of 661 pump action rifles, while the second was in May 2017 when 440 pump action rifles were discovered.
Giving details on how the 20ft container was intercepted, Comptroller General of the NCS, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali rtd., said it was falsely declared to contain wash-hand basins and water closets.
“They also observed that the seal of this unlisted container had already been cut and padlocked. The container became suspect and had to be immediately transferred to the enforcement unit”.
He expressed displeasure that all the three containers of arms intercepted by the service this year were from Turkey, adding that the incessant smuggling of arms in recent days has been worrisome.
“The service looks forward to justice being served to deter other would-be arms smugglers”
The Chief Executive Officer, Ships and Ports, Bolaji Akinola, had earlier urged the Federal Government to place a ban on importation from Turkey.
“I will suggest that Government should halt all manner of importation from Turkey and institute a thorough investigation both at the diplomatic and intelligence levels”.
Akinola stated that the arms should have been discovered in Turkey while examining the cargo as it is done in every country, but this was not done in these cases, thereby raising suspicion.
President, International Freight Forwarders Association (IFFA), Sam Onyemelukwe, urged the customs to get to the root of the matter and allow the law to take its course on the culprits.
In Turkey, the right to a private gun ownership is not guaranteed by law. Civilians are not allowed to possess automatic firearms and semi-automatic firearms as Turkey is restrictive in terms of gun control statutes.
Turkey’s border is porous and it is possible that there is a surplus of arms in the country as a result of militant activities around the country and also the failed coup of 2016.
It can also not be ruled out that these illegal importations are used to indict Turkey, the US has been accused severally of engineering trades using some other country’s name. Some times to justify actions against such country.
