Why it’s difficult to stop arms smuggling in Nigeria — C-G Customs

Why it’s difficult to stop arms smuggling in Nigeria — C-G Customs

The Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Ahmadu Ali (rtd.), on Thursday, told the House of Representatives that people living in border communities were making it difficult for the Customs to contain the smuggling of arms into the country.

Ali, who disclosed this at a budget 2020/2021 defence and consideration session organised by the House Committee on Customs in Abuja, said: “Our biggest problem with stopping arms smuggling is that border communities gang up against us, kill us and burn our vehicles.

‘’They gang up to fight us, because they think the bandits (who smuggle arms), are more important to their lives than us. We need other agencies and communities to help us. Until that is done, Customs is willing to do what it can, to stop that.

“There is no nation that has been able to stop arms smuggling. I understand there are complaints that how can Customs not stop this? But we cannot effectively police borders. We can only make efforts through the third tier to curtail smuggling. Other agencies and people in the border communities must help us.’’

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