Customs CG, Adeniyi Displays Container Load of Pump Action Riffles, ₦373m Worth of Cannabis At Tin Can Port
L-R: Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi displaying seinzed pump action riffles, while the Customs Area Controller of Tin Can Port Command, Compt Joe Anani and Zonal Coordinator Zone A, ACG Mohammed Babandede watches
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, has disclosed the interception of a container concealing parts of pump-action rifles, alongside the seizure of two 40-foot containers laden with cannabis-infused products, at the Tin Can Island Port Command.
Speaking during a press briefing at Tin Can Port Command of Customs on Thursday about the operations, Adeniyi said the seizures underscore the Service’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s borders from prohibited imports that threaten national security and public health.
“Today, I present verified facts on the interception of a container conveying concealed parts of pump-action rifles, alongside the seizure of two 40-foot containers laden with cannabis-infused products concealed among imported goods. These operations underscore our unwavering commitment to protecting Nigeria’s borders from prohibited imports that threaten national security and public health,” he said.
According to Adeniyi, Container No. TEMU 184536/9 arrived at Tin Can Island Port on 8 July 2026 aboard MV VELIKA and was flagged through Customs’ intelligence-driven risk management system for enhanced monitoring, prompting a detailed physical examination at the Customs Enforcement Station.
“On 8 July 2026, Container No. TEMU 184536/9 arrived at Tincan Island Port aboard MV VELIKA and was flagged through our intelligence-driven risk management system for enhanced monitoring. Acting on credible intelligence, officers placed the container under surveillance and subsequently subjected it to a detailed physical examination at the Customs Enforcement Station,” he said.
The examination uncovered concealed crates containing knocked-down components identified as JoJeff pump-action rifles.
As at press time, Customs operatives had coupled together 140 rifles from the recovered parts, with further technical examination and inventory ongoing to determine the exact quantity and configuration recovered.
The Customs boss disclosed that investigations had led to the arrest of a suspect linked to efforts to clear the container.
“Investigations extended beyond the seizure. On 31 July 2026, one suspect was arrested at Migfo Bonded Terminal while attempting to facilitate the release of the container. Documentary evidence, financial records, and telecommunications analysis established his connection with the named consignee, including a ₦10,000 payment received from a company account linked to the consignee on the day of his arrest. Two suspects are currently in custody assisting investigators, while another principal suspect remains at large and is being actively pursued,” he said.
In a separate operation, Customs intercepted two 40-foot containers conveying cannabis-infused products concealed alongside two used vehicles, two used pumping generators, rolls of blue polypropylene spunbond fabric, new tubular batteries, and thunder arrester cables.
The seizures comprised 109 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused pre-roll cookies (8,720 pieces, weighing 17.44kg) valued at ₦308,792,640; 125 cartons of Delta-8 cannabis-infused gummies (740 packs, weighing 515.2kg) valued at ₦40,700,000; and 73 cartons of cannabis-infused cookies (442 packs, weighing 309.4kg) valued at ₦24,310,000, bringing the combined street value of the illicit substances to ₦373,802,640.
Adeniyi described the seizures as evidence of the growing sophistication of criminal networks exploiting legitimate trade channels.
“These interceptions demonstrate the growing sophistication of transnational criminal networks that exploit legitimate trade channels to traffic illicit weapons and dangerous narcotic products. They also reaffirm the effectiveness of the Nigeria Customs Service’s intelligence-driven enforcement strategy, advanced risk profiling systems, and strong inter-agency collaboration,” he said.
He vowed that the Service would pursue all persons connected to the criminal enterprises linked to the seizures.
“Let me state unequivocally that the Nigeria Customs Service will stop at nothing to identify, track, arrest, and prosecute every individual connected to these criminal enterprises. Nigeria’s ports will never be safe havens for the trafficking of illicit weapons, narcotics, or other prohibited goods,” he said.
Adeniyi commended officers of the Tin Can Island Port Command and the Customs Enforcement Unit for the seizures, and appreciated the support of sister security agencies, while assuring Nigerians that the Service remains committed to securing the nation’s borders and facilitating legitimate trade.
“I also appreciate the continued support of our sister security and law enforcement agencies in safeguarding our nation. Finally, I assure Nigerians that the Service remains resolute in securing our borders, facilitating legitimate trade, and preventing the importation of prohibited and dangerous goods. We encourage members of the public to continue providing credible intelligence to support our efforts against smuggling and transnational organised crime,” he said.
On his part, the representative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Mr Adewunmi Sunday Augustune at the event stated that the cannabis seizure was intercepted out of painstaking intelligence gathering process and analyses.
He said “The Cookies came in from Housten in USA. These are not ordinary cookies, they are laced with Canabis sativa and our children are the target”
