PTML CUSTOMS HANDS OVER SEIZED ARMS, AMMUNITION TO NCCSALW
PTML Customs Hands Over Seized Arms, Ammunition To NCCSALW
By Babatunde Aremu
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port and Terminal Multi-Services Limited (PTML) Command, on Thursday, January 30, 2026, handed over a cache of seized arms and ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), reaffirming its resolve to combat arms smuggling and strengthen inter-agency collaboration.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Joe Anani, said the exercise underscored the command’s zero-tolerance stance against unlawful trade, its commitment to facilitating legitimate commerce, and its dedication to sustained cooperation with sister security agencies.
Comptroller Anani noted that the handover was carried out with the approval of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, psc(+), under whose supervision the seizures were recorded.
The items handed over included five pistols of different makes, one Crossman Pump Master rifle, 132 rounds of Remington live cartridges, 51 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition, four 9mm magazines, 40 rounds of assorted 9mm NIM FC 30-30 blank and hollow ammunition, as well as 118 empty 9mm shells.
According to the PTML boss, the arms and ammunition were uncovered on 25 different occasions during the examination of imported vehicles between 2022 and 2025. He attributed the seizures to the collective diligence of Customs officers and effective collaboration with other security agencies operating at the port.
“PTML remains a no-go area for unlawful trade under any guise,” Anani declared, adding that the command would continue to deploy both manpower and technology to ensure effective border control in line with the Revised Kyoto Convention of the World Customs Organisation.
He further disclosed that under the Nigeria Customs Service Modernisation Project, the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), also known as B’Odogwu, had significantly improved the command’s productivity. He announced that PTML Command would soon receive cargo scanners, a development expected to further enhance the detection of concealed prohibited items.
On revenue performance, Comptroller Anani revealed that with two days to the end of January 2026, the command had generated ₦44.06 billion, surpassing the ₦40.49 billion collected in January 2025 by ₦3.56 billion, representing an 8.8 per cent increase.
He commended compliant stakeholders for their cooperation, describing them as key partners in the command’s success.
Formally handing over the seized items on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Anani charged NCCSALW to take appropriate action in line with its mandate, while assuring that the Customs Service would remain steadfast in safeguarding the nation’s security and economic interests.
