Customs boss Ali exposes method used by smugglers to convey arms

- Arms smugglers in Nigeria have strong ties with members of border communities

- The Customs boss, Hameed Ali, made this revelation on Thursday, March 4

- Ali said unless all security forces work as a united force, the menace of arms smuggling will never be stamped out of the country

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Hameed Ali, the comptroller-general of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Thursday, March 4, revealed that arms smugglers thrive because they are always aided by border communities.

Ali admitted that this is the major reason the fight against crime is very difficult to overcome, AIT reports.

The NCS boss said what is even more worrisome is that natives of border communities fight against officers, kill them and burn their vehicles.

Suggesting a way forward, Ali called for better cooperation, intelligence gathering, and sharing among security agencies.

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Meanwhile, the NCS on Sunday, December 13, 2020, announced that it had intercepted a truck loaded with dangerous ammunition including locally manufactured rifles in Kebbi.

In a statement by the agency's public relation officer, Joseph Attah, the truck was intercepted along Yauri, Zamare waterside in the northern state with locally produced rice.

Attah said upon careful examination, sacks kept under the rice were found to contain 73 locally manufactured guns and 891 cartridges.

He said the culprits who are three in number were immediately arrested and are currently undergoing preliminary investigation.

Speaking in the statement, the controller of Customs Zone B, Hamisu Albashir, described the development as a success in the fight against the smuggling of illegal weapons into the county.

He added that the operation is a big feat and a signal to those planning "to bring any harmful items into the country" through the zone.

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Albashir urged members of the public, especially, border community dwellers to provide credible information that can help effective border security.

Onyirioha Nnamdi is a graduate of Literature and English Language at the University of Lagos. He is a Politics/Current Affairs Editor who writes on news and political topics for Legit.ng. He brings into his reporting a wealth of experience in creative and analytical writing. Nnamdi has a major interest in local and global politics..

Source: Legit.ng