How illegal arms find their way into the country

The same method used in smuggling contraband goods into Nigeria are now being used to run illegal arms into the country, Daily Trust findings have revealed.

An investigation by Daily Trust correspondent showed that most of the arms used by criminal gangs and especially by members of Boko Haram, Niger Delta militants and recently, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were smuggled into the country by unapproved agents with the strong connivance of some unscrupulous security operatives at the country’s busiest seaport, the Tin-Can Island and Apapa ports in Lagos.

It was learnt that members of a cartel are using an almost undetectable method to get dismantled weapon parts into the country. When the guns arrive Lagos, they are dismantled and trafficked by road in small vehicles to different parts of the country from where they are reassembled.

This tactic is to beat the numerous security checks across the nation. From all indications, the cartel’s weapons of choice are pump action rifles, high-caliber rifles as well as AR-15 and AK-47-type semi-automatic rifles, which can be easily converted into full automatic machine guns, a senior military officer said.

Daily Trust, September 16, 2017

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