Military Hardware Intercepted in Lagos, Customs on Red Alert

The men and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service have been placed on red alert at all the Customs commands and border posts in the country following an interception of a large cache of military hardware and air guns by the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command of the Customs.
The officers of the Command, whose newly found zeal and vigour under the new Area Comptroller, Jayne Shoboiki, displayed a rare vigilance to intercept the offensive consignment which was falsely declared.
The seized cache of the hardware include military camouflage uniforms, bullet proof jackets, military helmets, military face caps, military vest of different camouflage colours, Air Gun imported with two different End User Certificates, 20 Pieces of assorted OPTICAL SIGHT wrapped in Military camouflage uniform bags, mainly for rifles and Grenade launchers, Handcuffs, Police Official Cardigans and Drones.
The seized military hardware was intercepted at NAHCO shed at the airport.

The Area Comptroller of the command, Comptroller Shoboiki, expressed shock at the seizure but warned that her command would be a no go area for perpetrators of such illicit trade as the eagle-eyed officers would make the command impregnable for such offensive consignment.
“Economic saboteurs should desist from illicit trade and allow sanity in our economic ambience, as we must continue to carry out our statutory mandate of enforcing government trade policies and protecting our economic environment.
” The clearing agents should enlighten importers to desist from bringing into the country items that are not only prohibited but absolutely prohibited. Military hardware is not to be imported by individuals, but must come into the country with an End User Certificate”. Shoboiki warned.
This latest seizure was said to have raised security concern of government over the influx of arms, ammunitions and military hardware into the country in recent times and has therefore ordered the Customs to be extra vigilant at all the entry points in the country.
It would be recalled, that, the Customs made a seizure of what looked like an armoury last year when the service intercepted three separate large caches of arms and ammunition at both the Tin Can and Apapa ports.

These seizures, two at Tin Can port and the other at Apapa, consisted of a little below 2000 different assorted guns.
Government anxiety over this indiscriminate importation of arms and ammunition is hinged on the spate of killings and armed banditry which have raised the tempo of insecurity in the country.

The security concern of government is exacerbated by the coming elections.
Meanwhile, the MMIA customs command also intercepted 108 cartons of expired (2009) beef imported into the country, Pangolin Scales and pharmaceutical products known as Tramadol Tablets with no registration number from National Agency for Food Drug, Administration and Control, (NAFDAC),meant for export.
Shoboiki expressed displeasure over the expired (2009) beef imported into the country, saying such item poses serious health hazards to Nigerians.

“We have enough fresh beef in this country, I see no reason someone will import not only beef, but expired one. The item, which is under import prohibition list, schedule 3, item 2 of the Common External Tariff (CET), was abandoned. Efforts made to arrest the consignee proved abortive, as the address mentioned does not exist,” the CAC disclosed.
The Command however raked in ₦11.6billion from January to March 2018. The amount represents 74.34 percent of the revenue target in the first quarter.