Customs arrests man with pistols, knives, others at Lagos airport By Wole Shadare (The Guardian)

IN a major crackdown, the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos (MMIA) has arrested a passenger with two Barretta pistols, 10 pieces of bulletproof vests, five pieces of jacket knives and three pieces of military camouflage attires.
Other items found on him include uniforms, military combat caps, fez caps, eight pieces of purse, walkie-talkie, shocker, knee pads, tear gas, head caps, chargers flight light, radios, batons, traffic bars.
The passenger was arrested on July 1, 2012 on arriving the country aboard South African Airways.
The passenger was alleged to have smuggled the prohibited items into the country aboard South African Airways without permit from relevant authorities.
The passenger, whom the Customs Area Controller of the MMIA Command, Mr. Eporwei Charles Edeke, identified as one Bashir Alli, allegedly tried to bribe Customs officers on duty at the airport with $400 when he was approached to surrender his bags on the trolley for routine search.
Edeke explained that when Alli was rebuffed by the Customs officers he offered the $400, he became unsettled, and after hours of dilly-dallying, he eventually approved of the search which revealed the prohibited items.
He explained that on conducting the search, it was discovered that Alli had brought in the prohibited items, which had contravened relevant sections of the Customs and Excise Management Act, as well as other laws concerning the importation of such prohibited items.
He affirmed that the suspect was being held in the Command’s custody pending when interrogation was concluded before he would be handed over to the relevant authorities for prosecution.
Eporwei expressed shock that a passenger would attempt to bring into the country such deadly weapons at a time there were security challenges.
He described the Barretta air pistols as high calibre ammunition, which could be converted to regular pistols with its attendant danger.
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