By Anthony Nwachukwu
Compt. Joe Anani has reaffirmed the commitment of the Port and Terminal Multi-services Limited (PTML) Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) under his charge to border security, trade facilitation and inter-agency collaboration.
Speaking at the command in Lagos on Friday while handing over seized arms and ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Anani said the exercise underscored customs’ zero-tolerance for smuggling and its resolve that only legitimate trade thrives within Nigeria’s borders.
The items were handed over to the South-West Zonal Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Mustapha Alamutu, in the company of the agency’s officials, heads of sister-agencies and PTML management.
Handed over were five pistols of different makes, one Crossman Pump Master rifle, 132 Remington live cartridges, 51 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition, four 9mm magazines, 40 rounds of assorted 9mm and blank/hollow ammunition, as well as 118 empty 9mm shells, among others.
Anani said that these impounded during 25 different examinations of imported vehicles between 2022 and 2025, through sustained vigilance and collaboration with sister-security agencies at the port. He disclosed that PTML would soon receive cargo scanners, which would further strengthen its capacity to detect concealments such as arms and ammunition.
According to him, the PTML Command remains a “no-go area for unlawful trade under any guise,” and is firmly committed to the implementation of the Revised Kyoto Convention – a World Customs Organisation instrument aimed at balancing trade facilitation with effective regulatory control.
Meanwhile, highlighting the impact of the NCS Modernisation Project, Anani said the deployment of the Unified Customs Management System (UCMS), also known as B’Odogwu, has significantly enhanced productivity at the command.
Consequently, he announced that two days to the end of January 2026, the command had generated ₦44.06 billion, surpassing its ₦40.50 billion in January 2025 by ₦3.56 billion, representing an 8.8 per cent increase.
He commended compliant stakeholders for their continued cooperation, describing them as key partners in success.
