Customs Intercepts Truck With 200,000 Live Ammunition

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Niger State impounded a truck carrying over 200,000 live ammunition being brought into the country from Benin Republic. Two of the suspects, who were arrested by the Niger, Kwara, Kogi Command of the NCS, identified as the driver and the owner of the cartridges, were said to be on their way to Onitsha with the over 200,000 live ammunition. Command Controller, Comptroller Benjamin Binga, while addressing journalists yesterday in Minna, said that the suspects were apprehended along the Wawa-Babana border in Niger State in an Iveco truck with registration number Lagos AKD 904 XE .

He said: “My men intercepted the truck which entered the country through the Babana border about 3a.m. on Monday. “They cleverly disguised the truck, giving an impression that it was carrying over 100 empty jerry cans. But on thorough checking, it was discovered that the truck had a false bottom which was used to hide the cartridges. “The checking was not from tipoff, it was just out of sheer curiosity that my men decided to do a thorough checking and discovered that unlike other bottoms of trucks, this one had nuts and on removing the nuts, they discovered it was a false bottom which revealed the cartridges .

“The cartridges are numbering hundreds of thousands; it would take us hours to count it. We are now working to establish what the cartridges are really meant for and who sent them to bring the ammunition into the country.” The driver, who identified himself as Bukari Dauda from Cotonou in Benin Republic, said: “I was employed by the owner of the truck, Martin Anokwara, to drive the truck for him to Onitsha .

“I did not know the truck contained live cartridges as Martin only told me he wanted to take the empty jerry-cans back to Nigeria,” Anokwara confirmed that he was the owner of the cartridges just as he said that it was not meant for robbery .

He said: “I supply hunters and licensed owners of double-barrelled guns and only those in Anambra State.” Anokwara explained that the real driver of the truck fell sick which made him contract Dauda to drive him back to Nigeria. He said they had entered the country before they were apprehended by the Customs. The Customs Controller of the Niger, Kwara and Kogi Command said they would be interrogated before they were arraigned .