The Kwara area command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 3,620 rounds of live pump action cartridges in Bukuru suspected to be smuggled into the country.
The ammunition worth N1.4 million according to the Service, were hidden in 25 packs of 25 rounds, each containing in 14 cartons.
This was coming barley one month after the joint border patrol team, Sector 3, North Central comprising Kwara, Niger, Benue and Kogi intercepted 550 live pump action cartridges.
The command’s pioneer Area Comptroller, Hussaini Ahmed, made the disclosure while briefing reporters on the activities of the newly created area command.
He said “based on intelligence report, the command intercepted a Peugeot 504 vehicle with Reg. No. AP 448 AKD .On searching the vehicle, it was found to contain a large quantity of pump action cartridges suspected to be smuggled into the country.”
“This epic seizure,” he stated further, “is very commendable at the backdrop of the heightened insecurity in the country, should 3,620 rounds of live ammunition of his magnitude escaped into the country and fall into wrong hands ,the result will be appalling , devastating and disastrous.”
The new Kwara area command, which came into operation in 2019, Ahmed said, had also generated and remitted the total sum of N19.1 billion to the federal government coffers from July 2019 to December 2021.
Of these figures, he said N9.8bn revenue was generated and remitted in 2021 alone with 101 seizures recorded as against 84 recorded in 2020.
The comptroller noted that despite the federal government ban on importation of foreign parboiled rice, the command recorded the highest seizures of 2,971 bags in 2021.
The area comptroller said the latest seizures of 402 bags at Degi village and Arobaji axis along Moro local government area of Kwara state, were conveyed in 21 official vehicles to the Customs area command.
“Despite the resistance, threats, confrontation with charms, stones and other dangerous weapons by the perpetrators of this criminal act, officers were able to evacuate a total of 402 foreign parboiled rice of 50 of each using about 21 official patrol vehicles of the command to convey the goods to headquarters of the area command.”
He said the seized rice would be donated to the IDPs and orphanage homes as directed by the federal government.
Other seizures he listed included 39 used vehicles, 20 Jeri cans of vegetable oil, 17 motorcycles adding that five suspect arrested have also been released on administrative bail.
