Abuja, July 4, 2024 – The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) is to engage its Turkish counterpart to stop arms and ammunition importation into Nigeria.
Abdullahi Maiwada, the Spokesman for the Service, said this at a Strategic Communications Inter-Agency Policy Committee (SCIPC) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in Abuja on Thursday.
He said the service would also engage other countries within the World Customs Organisation as part of strategies to check the influx of arms and ammunition into Nigeria.
Maiwada said that the NCS Comptroller-General had promised to resuscitate the MoU between Nigeria and Turkey Customs Administration on ways to curtail the menace of smuggling of small arms and light weapon into Nigeria.
He said that the NCS had also signed an MoU) with General Administration of China Customs Service.
”We are working towards having what is called Customs to Customs Cooperation between those of us that are within the WCO.
”Customs to Customs cooperation is part of the strategy to ensure trade facilitation and cut illicit trade.
” So, we are working together with those customs administration, and at the higher level, there will also be diplomatic engagement which is above us now,” he said.
There have been reports of unbridled arms smuggling into the country recenly.
The NCS said it intercepted nine containers laden with arms, ammunition, and illicit drugs at the Onne Port in Rivers State.
It also intercepted a 40-feet container with 844 units of assorted rifles, 112,500 pieces of live ammunition with duty paid value of over N4 billion.
