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PTML Command Cracks Down on Arms Smuggling, Hands Over Seized Items to NCCSALW
By prince Benson Davies
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Port and Terminal Multi-Services Limited (PTML) Command has handed over a significant cache of seized arms and ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). The handover ceremony, which took place on January 30, 2026, at the command premises, underscores the command’s commitment to combating arms smuggling and strengthening inter-agency collaboration.
According to Comptroller Joe Anani, the Customs Area Controller of the PTML Command, the seized items include five pistols of different makes, one Crossman Pump Master rifle, and various rounds of ammunition. These items were uncovered in 25 different occasions during the examination of imported vehicles between 2022 and 2025.
Comptroller Anani emphasized that the PTML Command remains a no-go area for unlawful trade under any guise. He attributed the success of the command’s anti-smuggling efforts to the collective due diligence of the command and other sister agencies in the port.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, psc(+), had approved the seizures, and the command had carried out the handover following his directive. Comptroller Anani also highlighted the command’s commitment to deploying both manpower and technology to ensure effective border control in line with the Revised Kyoto Convention of the World Customs Organisation.
The command has generated ₦44.06 billion in revenue, surpassing the ₦40.49 billion collected in January 2025 by ₦3.56 billion, representing an 8.8% increase in revenue. Comptroller Anani commended the compliant stakeholders for their cooperation, adding that they are key partners in the command’s success story.
The seized items were formally handed over to the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) to take appropriate action.
