By Lanre Oloyede
Renowned Security expert, Chief Jackson Lekan-Ojo, has commended the men and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, for their diligence and expertise in detecting and confiscating a container laden with amunitions at Onne Port, River State.
Recall that the Nigeria Customs Service had on Monday announced that its operatives intercepted nine containers carrying offensive items including arms, ammunition, Illicit drugs and second-hand clothes worth N13.9 billion.
The Comptroller-General, NCS, Adewale Adeniyi disclosed this on Monday while addressing journalists in Onne Port, Rivers State.
Adeniyi said one of the containers which originated from Turkey, based on the number of risk factors associated with the importation, became a subject of interest to the service.
Reacting to the development, the Port-harcourt based security expert praised the Customs operatives for being professional and patriotic to national security.
Chief Lekan-Ojo stressed that if the officers had compromised in the discharge of their duty, such dangerous weapons would have found their way into the society, thereby worsening the already tense security situation in the country.
The public affairs analyst expressed worry that the intentions of the importers of such cache of dangerous ammunition wasn’t to perpetrate cultism, banditary or militancy but rather to fight outright war with the nation.
“I want to say kudos to the men and officers of the Nigeria Customs for a very great job they have just done because if they have been able to compromise, those amunitions would have found their way into our society and who knows why.
“It is an ominous signal that some people are preparing to fight war in this country. When you look at what people who imported this meant to do you will know this is no longer for cultism or banditary or militancy. This is meant to fight war against this country. We are in an unsafe territory,” he said.
The security expert urged the federal government to explore every diplomatic means possible to secure the commitment of countries of the world to Nigeria’s national security.
Chief Lekan-Ojo further urged the National Security Adviser, Department of State Security, and National Intelligence Agency, to wake up and be on high alert to ensure internal security in the country.
“The government of the day should by all means have serious diplomatic collaborations with all the countries in the world because if the authority in Turkey didn’t allow this ones to be loaded into a vessel heading towards Nigeria, I don’t think it will get here .
“I think there’s a department for armament and small arms and weapons recovery, those people should expand their dragnet, their eyes should be everywhere now across the country, every container and consignment should be thoroughly inspected.
“Office of the National Security Adviser should wake, the DSS, NIA Shou wake up. The issue of internal security should be taken too seriously by government,” the renowned security expert stated.
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