The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has called for increased vigilance against arms smuggling ahead of the 2027 general elections. He warned that illegal weapons entering the country could threaten national security and electoral safety.
Adeniyi spoke at the third Distinguished Personality Lecture organised by the TETFUND Centre of Excellence in Security Management at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State. He disclosed that on June 21, 2024, Customs officers intercepted 844 rifles and 112,500 rounds of ammunition at a bonded terminal in Onne, Rivers State.
According to him, the weapons were concealed in a 40-foot container shipped from Türkiye, hidden among dolls, furniture and plumbing fittings. He also revealed that in February 2025, the service handed over 1,599 firearms seized between 2018 and 2024 to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
The Customs chief said major arms consignments often arrive by sea in containers, with weapons dismantled or concealed among household goods. He stressed that intercepting such shipments before they reach their destinations could prevent weapons from getting into the hands of kidnapping gangs, armed groups and individuals seeking to disrupt elections.
Speaking on the lecture theme, “Why Customs Matters: Revenue, Security and Nationhood in a Borderless World,” Adeniyi argued that intelligence, data analysis and joint patrols with neighbouring countries were more effective in tackling smuggling than sealing borders.
He cited Nigeria’s border closure between August 2019 and December 2020, saying research showed that the measure reorganised smuggling networks rather than eliminating them.
Adeniyi added that Customs revenue helps the government fund public services, including schools, healthcare facilities and rural roads. He noted that import concessions were worth about ₦1.68 trillion in 2024 and called for scrutiny of the waiver system, while describing the service’s ₦11.07 trillion revenue target for 2026 as demanding.
He pledged that Customs would pursue its revenue target through compliance, data and trade facilitation rather than harassment at ports.
Earlier, the centre’s director, Benjamin Aluko, said the lecture was intended to provide evidence-based information to support intellectual discussions on security management, peace studies and the social sciences.
