Joint Border Patrol Seizes Rifles, Cartridges, and Contraband Valued at N36 Billion
The Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) Sector 2, based in Lagos, has successfully intercepted a significant quantity of illegal goods worth an estimated N36 billion between 2019 and the present. Among the seized items are six pump-action rifles, 1,125 live cartridges, and various other contraband items.
Mohammed Shuaibu, a Deputy Controller of Customs and the coordinator of the JBPT, shared these details with journalists on Friday in Ikeja, Lagos. He explained that the rifles and cartridges were discovered hidden in a sack containing cassava flakes along the Okerete-Ododo Bush route in Oyo State.
Additionally, Shuaibu revealed that during the same period, the team apprehended 1,507 illegal immigrants. The rifles, which were concealed in a Toyota saloon car, were intercepted just last week.
Between August 2019 and the present, the team’s operations led to the seizure of 130,954 bags of foreign rice, 218 truckloads of goods, 7,200kg of pangolin scales, 5.58 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 11,322 cartons of foreign frozen food, 4,124 bales of second-hand clothes, 4,057 kegs of vegetable oil, 15 pump-action rifles, 280 suspected human trafficking cases, 480 vehicles, and 1,190 other means of transportation.
Shuaibu noted that the total duty-paid value of the seized items amounted to N36.7 billion, which also contributed significantly to the Federal Government’s revenue. He added that an estimated N1.1 billion had been deposited into the federation account from the auction sales of seized petroleum products. These efforts, he stressed, also play a crucial role in boosting national security by disrupting illegal trade networks, particularly those tied to arms, drugs, and other illicit goods.
Recent reports from the Institute of Security Studies highlight that Nigeria accounts for approximately 70% of the 500 million illegal weapons circulating across West Africa. Furthermore, an estimated 6.15 million small arms are reportedly in civilian hands within the country.
The JBPT, which was established in August 2019, aims to tackle security challenges arising from the smuggling of arms, drugs, and other contraband across Nigeria’s borders. The team operates under the coordination of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and works closely with various agencies, including the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Police, the Immigration Service, the Department of State Services, and the National Intelligence Agency, with the Nigeria Customs Service serving as the lead agency. The initiative is designed to enhance both border security and national safety.
