Dare Olawin and Bankole Taiwo
The Nigeria Customs Service Ogun 1 Area Command, has intercepted 975 rounds of red star live cartridges concealed in five bags of rice and hidden in a bush along Palace/Ayetoro Road in the Imeko Afon Local Government Area of the state.
The seizure was said to have been made on Monday, November 27 following an intelligence report after which some officials were deployed to confront those bringing the ammunition into the country.
The acting Customs Area Controller, Ogun Area 1 Command, Deputy Comptroller Amadu Shuaibu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the Idiroko border on Wednesday.
Shuaibu said the command had been on the trail of the smugglers of live ammunition for about a week until Monday around 5 a.m. when it got an intelligence report of the ammunition concealed in five bags of rice and hidden away in the bush
He said, “On Monday, November 27, 2023, our operatives went on a professional and intelligence-based operation to unravel the antics deployed by unscrupulous elements to bring in live ammunition through the Imeko axis of the state.
“We have been on the trail of the ammunition for about a week. Fortunately, at 0005hrs of the day, we got an intel that the five bags of foreign parboiled rice containing live cartridges of red star ammunition had been carefully hidden in a bush path along the Palace/Ayetoro Road, in the Imeko Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State. Our operatives went to the spot and evacuated the five bags of rice without any encounter.
“The bags of rice were suspected because of the unusual threading and sewing of the sacks. This quickly aroused the suspicion of our operatives leading to their opening for proper examination at the Border station.
“During the examination, about 975 rounds of red star live cartridges were found to have been ingeniously concealed in the bags. We have intensified efforts at tracking down the perpetrators of this nefarious act for them to be brought to justice.
“We recognise the potential danger of arms and ammunition trafficking which is life-threatening. We shall not renege in our efforts to combat smuggling activities in its entirety”.
Shuaibu said the consequences of unchecked smuggling of arms and ammunition are severe, ranging from the empowerment of criminal organisations to escalating crisis and compromise of national security.
“For these reasons, we will not relent nor compromise waging war against smuggling of unlawful arms and ammunition in building a safe and stable nation,” he added.
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