Update: Customs Boss Ali, Turkish Ambassador Meet on Riffles Seized All Coming From Turkey
Following concerns expressed by the general public on the recent seizures of Pump Actions Riffles from Turkey, the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, MR Hakan Cakil had a meeting with the Management of the Nigeria Customs Service today, Tuesday, 26th September, 2017 at the NCS HQ. to fashion out ways of dealing with the disturbing issue.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), expressed the concern of the Nigeria Customs Service and indeed that of Nigerians that four different arms seizures with a total number of 2671 Pump Action Riffles, coming from one source, Turkey, appears to suggest complicity of Turkish Authority, hence the need for the meeting.
The meeting which lasted for about (2) hours, was frank, detailled with specific commitments and strategies to stem the ugly tide. Highlights of the meeting include: The Turkish Ambassador restated his country’s support for Nigeria’s security and well being, saying that Turkey will not support any dangerous shippment to Nigeria. That all the four shipments intercepted were false declarations on the bills of lading, it is a clear case of smuggling. The Turkish Ambassador will immediately communicate to his home country, findings from the NCS HQ, with view to fishing out criminals behind the illegal arms shipment to Nigeria. That a team of Nigeria Customs Service, visits the Turkish Customs to further discuss ways of nipping such arms export from Turkey as well as strengthening agreement on mutual customs to customs assistance. That NCS provides for the Turkish authority, list of prohibited items and in the case of arms, sample of End User Certificate to enable them always verify before approving any legal arms export to Nigeria. That the Turkish Government will co-operate with Nigeria in every step to deal decisively with those found involved. The meeting ended with both sides agreeing to work together to stop the dangerous trend.Both agreed to use the situation as opportunity to strengthen tides to prevent the use of either Country as a base for export of harmful items to the other.
