Customs Intercept Container Suspected To Be Loaded With Arms At Lagos Port

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Tin Can Island Command on Saturday disclosed that it has intercepted a container suspected to be laden with arms and ammunition.

This development was confirmed by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Uche Ejesieme, in a statement.

According to him, the container was intercepted last Friday in one of the port’s terminals during routine examination.

“Following, we will communicate officially to the customs management as well our zonal coordinator in line with service protocol,” he said.

He, therefore, called for calm as the command tries to get critical information on which a report on the incident would be based.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had on Friday announced the interception of 64,000 pump action cartridges and a new pump action gun in a store at Onitsha in Anambra.

The agency also said it rescued 34 children aged between eight to 14 on the Okene-Lokoja expressway.

NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, said the discovery of the ammunition and gun led to the arrest of an arm-dealer, 34-year-old Donatus Igwebudu.

He said the arrest followed credible intelligence on drugs and arms deal in the location.

“Backed by soldiers, the NDLEA operatives stormed the store on Wednesday and moved the arm and ammunition to the agency’s office in Awka,’’ Babafemi said.

On the children, Babafemi said that they were intercepted by the NDLEA’s operatives on patrol on the Okene-Lokoja Expressway.

Babafemi said the children were being trafficked from Ijebu Ode in Ogun to Abuja.

He said the minors were packed in two commercial buses; Toyota Sienna and a 12- Seater Mazda, with registration numbers, Lagos LND124FV and Oyo BDJ-683YK respectively.

“The bus drivers confirmed that the kids were handed over to them by a woman at Ijebu Ode to be conveyed to Abuja.’’

According to him, on arrival in the FCT, the woman is to call another bus driver who will convey the children to Riyom in Plateau State.

“It was further revealed that the children were initially trafficked from Plateau state to Ijebu Ode, where they were distributed to different households as domestic servants. Some of the children were discovered to have served for two years and their rewards sent to the woman’s agent in Jos,’’ he said.