Election fears mount as Customs seizes 603 firearms ahead of 2027 polls
By Felix Uroko
Fresh concerns are mounting over the possible influx of illegal weapons into Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections after the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reported the interception of at least 603 firearms and firearm-related items between January and August 2026.
The seizures were made at different Customs commands and have been handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The development comes just months before Nigerians head to the polls, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) scheduling the Presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections for February 6, 2027.
The 2027 elections will be the first general elections conducted under the Electoral Act 2026.
Major arms seizures
The Customs Service had already recorded several significant interceptions before the latest seizures at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
In January, the NCS announced the handover of arms and ammunition intercepted during examinations of imported vehicles between 2022 and 2025.
The command said the contraband was intercepted on 25 different occasions.
Among the items recovered were five pistols, a Crossman Pump Master rifle, 132 Remington live cartridges, 51 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition, four 9mm magazines, 40 rounds of assorted 9mm ammunition and 118 empty 9mm shells.
Also in January, the Ogun Area 1 Command reported the seizure of 2,128 live cartridges, 1,315 explosives, locally made guns and revolver pistols, as well as hard drugs including methamphetamine and heroin.
The recovered weapons were subsequently handed over to the NCCSALW.
In June, the Oyo/Osun Area Command also arrested suspects allegedly found with three pump-action rifles, according to a report by Nigerian Tribune.
399 rifles concealed at Tin Can Port
One of the biggest seizures came in July when Customs intercepted a container carrying 399 Jojef pump-action rifles at the Tin Can Island Port.
The weapons were handed over to the NCCSALW on August 18.
Customs Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi, said the container arrived at the port on July 8 aboard the vessel MV Velika and was flagged for inspection by the Service's risk management system.
According to him, the firearms had been dismantled and concealed in knocked-down form in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
After examination and reassembly, Customs recovered 399 fully assembled rifles and 535 firearm components.
The components included 89 frames, 80 charging handles, 57 trigger groups and 25 locking lugs.
An importer and a female clearing agent were also arrested over the alleged illegal importation.
But the seizures did not end there.
On August 31, the Tin Can Island Command handed over another 204 pump-action rifles imported from Turkey to the NCCSALW.
Adeniyi said the latest seizure followed credible intelligence and sustained efforts to prevent the illegal importation and circulation of firearms in Nigeria.
Customs warns of election-related threats
The Customs chief has warned that criminal networks could attempt to exploit Nigeria's borders, seaports and airports to move prohibited items into the country as the 2027 elections approach.
“This is a very delicate period for Nigerian history. We are about entering a major election cycle,” Adeniyi said.
He warned that criminals could also seek accomplices within the Customs Service and other security agencies to facilitate the movement of illegal goods.
Adeniyi assured Nigerians that the NCS would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to prevent firearms and other prohibited items from entering the country.
He also urged members of the public to provide security agencies with information that could help identify and disrupt criminal networks involved in the illegal movement of weapons.
Stakeholders raise concerns
The Director-General of the NCCSALW, Kokomo Johnson, said illicit small arms and light weapons remained major drivers of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and other violent crimes.
The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC), a maritime research group, also commended the NCS for its intelligence-led interception of firearms and firearm components concealed among declared household goods in a container originating from Turkey.
In a bulletin signed by its Head of Research, Eugene Nweke, the group said the seizures should be viewed not merely as enforcement successes but as potential national security intelligence.
SEREC called for a deeper investigation into the entire supply chain behind the shipments, particularly given the repeated interception of firearms and components at the same port.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, also commended Customs for the seizures.
Yusuf said the repeated importation and interception of firearms could reflect growing desperation among sections of the political class, warning that the trend deserved closer attention as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
With more than 600 firearms and firearm-related items intercepted in the first eight months of 2026, security agencies are now under increasing pressure to strengthen border surveillance and prevent illegal weapons from finding their way into communities ahead of the polls.
