The Comptroller-General of Nigeria
Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.), on Tuesday met with the
Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Hakan Cakil, over the recent seizures
of pump-action rifles imported illegally into the country from Turkey...
The meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service in Abuja, lasted for almost two hours.
The Public Relations Officer of the NCS,
Mr. Joseph Attah, said in a statement that the meeting dwelt on how to
fashion out ways of dealing with the recurring cases of illegal arms
importation from Turkey.
This year alone, the NCS had on four occasions, intercepted 2,671 pump-action rifles smuggled into the country.
The service had in January seized 661 pieces of pump-action rifles, which were found in 49 boxes.
In May, the operatives intercepted 440
assorted pump-action rifles and on September 11, 2017 another 1,100
rifles were intercepted at the Tin Can Island. All of these originated
from Turkey.
Specifically, the CG was said to have
expressed concern that four different arms seizures with a total of
2,671 pump – action rifles were coming from one source –Turkey.
This, according to him, appears to suggest complicity on the part of the Turkish government.
At the end of the two-hour meeting, the
statement said the Turkish ambassador restated his country’s support for
Nigeria’s security and well-being, noting that Turkey would not support
any dangerous shipment of arms to Nigeria.
Cakil, according to the statement, said
that all the four shipments intercepted by the NCS had false declaration
on their bill of lading.
This, he noted, was a clear case of smuggling.
The statement explained that the
ambassador agreed to communicate to his home country the outcome of the
investigations from the NCS as this would help fish out the criminals
behind the illegal arms shipment.
The statement read in part, “Following
concerns expressed by the general public on the recent seizure of
pump-action rifles from Turkey, the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria had a
meeting with the management of the Nigeria Customs Service to fashion
out ways of dealing with the disturbing issue.
“The meeting which lasted for about two
hours was frank and detailed with specific commitments. The Turkish
Ambassador restated his country’s support for Nigeria’s security and
well being, saying that Turkey would not support any dangerous shipment
to Nigeria.”
The statement added the CG and the
Turkish ambassador both agreed that a team of the NCS should visit the
Turkish customs to further discuss ways of nipping such arms export from
Turkey as well as strengthening agreement on mutual assistance.
It was also agreed that the NCS would
provide the Turkish authorities with list of prohibited items in
Nigeria, noting that in the case of arms, sample of End-User Certificate
would be made available to enable them to always verify before
approving any legal arms export to Nigeria.
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