Nigeria Customs Names Importers of 399 Pump-Action Rifles, Hands Over Weapons to NSA Office

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has publicly identified the importers behind the recent shipment of 399 fully assembled JOJEF pump-action rifles and assorted firearm components intercepted at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, as both suspects remain in custody pending their court arraignment.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the names during the formal handover of the seized arms to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in Lagos on Monday. According to the Customs chief, the importers behind the illicit consignment are Robert Eze and Ejiogu Godson. Both individuals are now in custody following their arrest in connection with the illegal shipment. Customs operatives arrested one of the suspects on July 31, 2026, at a bonded terminal while he was allegedly attempting to secure the release of the container containing the prohibited firearms. The two suspects have been remanded by the Federal High Court in Lagos, with their arraignment scheduled for August 25, 2026.

The interception occurred after the NCS risk-management system flagged the container for inspection upon arrival at Tincan Island Port aboard the vessel MV Velika on July 8, 2026. Adeniyi placed particular emphasis on the role of technology in the seizure, explaining that Customs could not physically open every container arriving in the country. “Look carefully at what is laid out on these tables. 399 rifles. Somebody paid for them. Somebody arranged their shipment. Somebody was waiting at this end to collect them. And somebody, somewhere in this country, was going to be on the wrong end of them,” Adeniyi said. The Comptroller-General revealed that the firearms had been deliberately dismantled and concealed among the contents of the container in an apparent attempt to make them more difficult to detect. “It was opened because our risk management system flagged it. Inside were firearm components, taken apart and hidden in knocked-down form. That is a deliberate method. It is chosen for one reason only, which is that a rifle in pieces does not look like a rifle,” he explained.

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Following detailed examination and assembly of recovered components, Customs confirmed the discovery of 399 fully assembled patrol rifles alongside a significant quantity of supplementary rifle parts. Among the additional components recovered were 89 frames, 80 charging handles, 57 trigger groups, 66 foregrip latches, 45 foregrips/handguards, 39 pistol-grip screws, 34 springs, 25 locking lugs, 16 heat shields, 10 trigger pins, four pistol grips, five barrels, and three pistons.

Following the complete inventory and assessment of the illicit shipment, the Customs Service handed over the seized armaments to the Director-General of the NCCSALW under the Office of the National Security Adviser. Adeniyi confirmed that the two arrested suspects are also being transferred to the Office of the NSA for further investigation. In his remarks, the National Coordinator of the NCCSALW, Mr Johnson Kokumo, revealed that the Centre has received 21,000 Small Arms and Light Weapons since inception, while over 19,000 have been destroyed. He commended the Comptroller General of Customs for his astute leadership, professionalism, and patriotism often demonstrated in all operations of the Nigeria Customs that have led to the recovery of illicit weapons at different times. Kokumo stated: “Illicit weapons taken out of the hands of non state actors is a direct blow to criminal networks and a vital step toward safeguarding innocent citizens.” He assured that the weapons would be managed to the highest standards and will be accounted for, ensuring that they do not find their way back into the hands of criminal elements, in strict compliance with national legislation and international best practices.

Adeniyi warned that criminal networks could seek to exploit Nigeria’s borders, ports, and airports ahead of the next general elections to move prohibited items into the country. He assured Nigerians that the service would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to prevent such activities. “We are about entering a major election cycle, and we know that by this period, men of the underworld will want to use our borders, our ports, our airports to bring in items like this. We are going to redouble our efforts to ensure that we do not allow them to do so,” Adeniyi said. The Customs chief reaffirmed the service’s commitment to intelligence-led enforcement, stronger border surveillance, and collaboration with sister security agencies to dismantle arms-trafficking networks and safeguard national security. He also warned Customs personnel against colluding with arms traffickers, saying officers who facilitate the movement of illicit weapons would not receive protection from the service.

Customs Names Importers of 399 Pump-Action Rifles, Hands Over Weapons to NSA Office

Obasanjo Pays Surprise Visit to Adeleke, Tasks Him on Good Governance

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has charged Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to continue delivering good governance to the people of the state following his re-election victory in Saturday’s governorship poll.

Obasanjo made the call during a surprise congratulatory visit to Adeleke at his country home in Ede on Sunday, hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the governor winner of the keenly contested election. The former president was accompanied by Chief Oyewole Fasawe during the visit.

According to a statement issued by Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Monday, Obasanjo prayed for further success for the governor and urged him to remain committed to good governance and the delivery of dividends of democracy. “Continue to deliver good governance. Continue to meet the needs of your people,” Obasanjo charged the governor. The statement further revealed that Adeleke received the former president with “dancing and a song of praise to God for the successful outcome of the election.”

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Governor Adeleke, who expressed surprise at the visit, thanked God and the people of Osun State and promised to remain a loyal servant of the people. “Baba, I thank you for this surprise visit. I promise never to disappoint God, the Osun people and all lovers of democracy who made our victory possible,” the governor said. The deputy governor of the state, Prince Kola Adewusi, accompanied Adeleke to receive the former president.

INEC declared Adeleke, who contested on the Accord Party platform, winner with 511,067 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 444,815 votes. The governor secured victories in 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11. Following his victory, Adeleke also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had called to congratulate him, expressing appreciation for the President’s support for the democratic process. Adeleke’s re-election now gives him a fresh four-year mandate to continue his administration’s programmes in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and workers’ welfare.

Obasanjo Pays Surprise Visit to Adeleke, Tasks Him on Good Governance

King’s College Concession: Parents Mobilise for Mass Protest as N100bn Takeover Plan Sparks Outrage

The controversy over the Federal Government’s decision to concession King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) has intensified, with parents and other stakeholders mobilising for a mass protest against the arrangement.

Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Mr Peter Oluwaseye, confirmed the planned protest, stating that widespread opposition from parents, civil servants, and the host community had made the demonstration necessary. He emphasised that parents strongly object to the move, insisting that King’s College remains a public institution that should not be taken over by its former students. “Parents are not in support of the move. Senior civil servants are also saying no to it. The community is also not in support. Old boys should not see the college as their property. They attended the school just like the current students are doing. King’s College is a public property,” he said. The PTA chairman argued that KCOBA should support the institution through voluntary contributions rather than seek control of its administration. “The old students should give to the college willingly, not wanting to take it over. They won’t succeed. There is no private entity that can assemble the type of teachers we have in the college. We say no to concession, whatever guise it is being planned,” he stated.

The controversy follows an announcement in July 2026 by KCOBA President, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, that the Federal Government had approved the concession of the 116-year-old institution to the old boys’ association. Following the announcement, KCOBA launched a N100 billion endowment fund aimed at repositioning the college and financing infrastructure renewal, teacher development, digital technology, scholarships, research, innovation, and students’ welfare. Among the early contributors were First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, who donated N10 million, while Ibrahim-Imam pledged N1 billion. Former Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Philip Asiodu, and the association’s new Board Chairman, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, also donated N100 million each. The endowment fund will be chaired by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, with economist Atedo Peterside serving as Vice Chairman.

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Ibrahim-Imam described the concession as a defining moment in the history of King’s College, potentially serving as a blueprint for the renewal of public education in Nigeria. He allayed fears that the government had sold the college, stressing it was “not a privatisation agreement” but rather “the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with government to restore, strengthen, modernise, and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions.” He further assured that the school’s federal character would remain intact, with students continuing to be admitted from all parts of the country regardless of ethnic, religious, or economic background. Giving an insight into how the journey towards the concession approval began, Ibrahim-Imam stated: “This historic milestone did not happen overnight. It is the culmination of years of careful planning, sustained advocacy, constructive engagement, and unwavering commitment by generations of Kingsmen who refused to accept that decline should define the future of their alma mater.”

However, the Parents-Teachers Association has strongly opposed the arrangement, expressing concern that the concession could result in increased school fees and other charges beyond the reach of many parents, forcing children from low-income families out of the institution and widening inequality in access to quality education. The PTA also faulted what it described as “secrecy surrounding the proposal,” saying critical stakeholders were not adequately consulted before the concession plan emerged. The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has similarly rejected the concession, warning that handing over King’s College and other Federal Government Colleges to private entities would make them unaffordable for millions of Nigerian students and threaten the jobs of teachers and other workers. The union recalled that similar attempts to privatise unity schools in 2005 were resisted through prolonged negotiations, industrial action, and legal battles.

As the controversy continues, parents have affirmed their commitment to protecting the integrity and accessibility of King’s College. They have called on the Federal Government to immediately suspend the proposed concession and initiate genuine dialogue with all stakeholders before taking any decision.

King’s College Concession: Parents Mobilise for Mass Protest as N100bn Takeover Plan Sparks Outrage