Less than two weeks after operatives of the Tin-Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, busted a syndicate that smuggled over 1,000 weapons into Nigeria, another container containing guns from Turkey has been apprehended, the Daily Post reported.
According to the report, in a statement made available to the daily on Thursday Customs said the guns were found in a 20-foot container marked No. CMAU189817/8.
The statement quoted Col. Hammed Ali, the comptroller-general, as narrating how the terminal operator quarantined the flagged container for stricter analysis.
“It was transferred to the enforcement unit, where 100% examination revealed 470 pump action rifles as against elbow plumbing plastics on its bill of lading,” it said.
“Importer of this deadly cargo is Great James Oil and Gas Ltd, while the vessel is MV Arkas Africa owned by Hull Blyth. This discovery brings to a total of 2671 rifles seized within the last eight months of this year,” said the statement.
“Since this container belongs to the same importer of the 1,100 rifles, the ongoing investigation will be reinvigorated to fish out all those directly or remotely connected with these dangerous importers,” it added.
In 2014, Turkish Airlines attracted attention after a voice recording surfaced, allegedly a phone conversation between a senior Turkish Airlines (THY) official and one of then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s advisers.
“Lots of material is on its way to Nigeria right now. Is it going to kill Muslims or Christians? I am sinning right now, you should know,” one voice, purportedly that of the THY official, says.
The voice supposedly of Erdogan’s adviser says he would contact National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan.
Turkish Airlines denied carrying weapons and military equipment to Nigeria.