The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) is engaging its Turkish counterparts to halt the influx of illicit arms and ammunition into Nigeria.
The Service is also engaging countries within the World Customs Organization, as part of strategies to cut the influx of illicit trade.
Customs’ spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this on Thursday, July 4, at the Strategic Communications Inter-agency Policy Committee (SCIPC) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Abuja.
Maiwada said the Comptroller-General of NCS, Bashir Adeniyi, had also ratified an agreement with Chinese Customs to address the issue.
The NCS had on July 1 intercepted and seized arms worth N18.23bn at the Onne Port in Rivers State in containers originating from Turkey. The items recovered include; 848 rifles and 112,500 rounds of live ammunition.
The illegal arms were concealed in other items inside a 1X40 foot container ‘MAEU165396’, while the drugs found in different cartons were in nine containers.
The NCS also July 1, intercepted assorted arms, drones, and military accoutrements worth ₦1.5bn at Murtala Muhammad Airport exported from Turkey to Lagos State.
Maiwada said: “If you recall, some two or three months back, China, and we signed an MOU with the general administration of China Customs.
“Most of the drugs we intercept come from India. We are working towards also having what is called Customs to Customs cooperation. For those of us who are within the World Customs Organization, Customs to Customs cooperation is part of the strategy to, one, ensure trade facilitation, and two, to cut illicit trade.
“There was an MOU with Turkey when the present Comptroller-General of Customs was the spokesperson of the Nigeria Customs, and he promised he was going to resuscitate that MOU to engage with Turkey Customs Administration on how to curtail the menace of the smuggling of small arms and light weapons into Nigeria”.
“So we are working together with the Customs administration. And at the higher level, there will also be diplomatic engagement, which is above us. And the same question was raised about Turkey.”
