The Assistant Comptroller and acting spokesman for the NCS, Joseph Attah, told Punch during a telephone interview that no action could be taken on the matter now as investigations had not been concluded.
The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the NCS had, on January 30, intercepted the 40-foot container containing the rifles along the Mile 2 — Apapa Road in Lagos State.
The FOU officials were said to have discovered that although the manifest said the container had
“steel doors and other merchandise goods,” boxes of the weapons were concealed deep in the container.
The rifles tagged, ‘JOJEFF made in Italy,’ could take up to 10 cartridges and could wreak a lot of havoc.
Other items found in the container were diapers, office cabinet, towels, mattresses, soft drinks and toiletries among others.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.), had said the container came from China, but was routed through Turkey to “cause confusion.”
He had explained that three suspects, Oscar Okafor (importer), Mahmud Hassan (clearing agent) and Sadique Mustapha (escort) had been arrested.
Two days later, two customs officers — Abdullahi I, and Odiba Inah — who cleared the container were arrested and transferred to the Customs headquarters in Abuja.
When asked when the suspects would be charged to court since it was up to two weeks that they had been detained, Attah said the outcome of the investigations would determine the next line of action for the service.
He said,
“They are facing investigations already. It is only when investigations are completed that appropriate actions can be taken.
“All those concerned with the importation of the rifles are currently under investigations. And when the investigations are completed, the findings of the investigations will determine further action.”Source - PUNCH NEWSPAPER
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