Six riffles hidden in sacks of Garri have been seized by the Nigeria Customs Service in a bush path between Oyo State and the Republic of Benin border.
Mohammed Shuaibu, the coordinator of the Joint Border Patrol Team Sector 2 said the seizure was made during a routine patrol along the Okerete-Ododo bush path.
According to Shuaibu, the team was able to seize the riffles alongside 1,125 live cartridges, all concealed inside sacks of garri and were being conveyed in a Toyota Camry Saloon car.
He added that since August 2029, the team has been able to seize good valued at N36,7 billion and intercepted 1,507 illegal immigrants as its efforts in contributing to border security and curbing smuggling operations.
His words, The recent of this kind of seizure was on December 3, 2024, when a patrol team sighted a man running away from a stationed Toyota Camry Saloon car along the Okerete-Ododo bush path of Oyo State.
“The fleeing man’s action raised suspicion on the abandoned vehicle, and it was intercepted,” Shuaibu stated.
He added that a search of the vehicle by the team’s operatives revealed six pump actions rifles with numbers, 602-H22YT641, 602-H22YT-397, 602-H22YT-623, 22-MT-0238, P537916, and T051084.
He said, “A total of 1,125 pieces of live cartridges were found to be carefully concealed inside sacks containing cassava flakes.”