Authorities in charge of the Joint Border Patrol Team 2 have recovered six brand new automatic pump action rifles and 1,125 cartridges carefully concealed in sacks of garri in an abandoned Toyota car in Okerete-Ododo area of Oyo State.

The Coordinator Joint Border Patrol Team 2, in charge of six states in the southwestern region, Deputy Comptroller of Customs (DCC), Mohammed Salisu Shuaibu, made this disclosure while giving account of five years achievements of the team.

He said the occupants of the vehicle, on sighting the customs patrol team, abandoned the car and fled.

This revealed that the team also arrested 280 suspected human traffickers within the five years under review.

Addressing news men at the Customs Training College, Ikeja, the coordinator said the doggedness and sacrifice of the team in fighting cross border crimes was instrumental in achieving some of the successes.

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He said the feats achieved since 2019 when the Joint Border Patrol Team was set up include the seizure of goods worth a Duty Paid Value of N36.7 billion with the interception of 1,507 irregular immigrants.

“The Sector’s efforts also boosted the Federal Government’s revenue through auction sales. An aggregate of N1.140 billion was paid into the federation account from the sales of seized petroleum products, at the same time the national security was enhanced by seizing and frustrating the supply chains of illicit goods which had security implications and concerns.

“The recent of this kind of seizures was on December 3, 2024, when a patrol team sighted a man running away from a stationed Toyota Camry Saloon car along the Okerete-Ododo bush path of Oyo State.

“The fleeing man’s action raised suspicion on the abandoned vehicle and it was intercepted. After conducting a search on the vehicle, it was found to contain six pump-action rifles with the following numbers: 602-H22YT-641, 602-H22YT-397, 602-H22YT-623, 22-MT-0238, P537916, and T051084. A total of 1,125 pieces of live cartridges were found to be carefully concealed inside sacks containing cassava flakes.

“Prominent among other seizures recorded from 20 August 2019 till date are: 30,964 bags of foreign 50kg rice, 7,200 kg of pangolin scales, 5,575,020 litres of petrol, 11,322 cartons of foreign froz n products, 4,124 bakes of used cloths, 4,057 kegs of vegetable oil, 15 pump action rifles, 280 suspected cases of human trafficking, 480 units of used vehicles and 1,190 means of conveyance,” he added.

He also said the Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) Sector 2 had encountered some operational challenges which were surmounted in collaboration with some critical stakeholders through innovative problem-solving skills and commitment to effective leadership and management.

“As the principal adviser to the President on national security, the Office of the National Security Adviser coordinates the management of the Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT), working closely with the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Police, the Immigration Service, the Department of State Services, the National Intelligence Agency, and the Nigerian Customs Service as the lead agency to ensure an improved national security,” he said.