By Godwin Oritse & Godfrey Bivbere
LAGOS — THE Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, yesterday, at the Tin-Can Island Port intercepted a 40” foot container containing arms and ammunition and arrested one Mr Niyi Osunsanya, a Customs agent contracted to clear the cargo.

Speaking to newsmen on the development, Customs Area Comptroller, CAC, of Tin Can Island Customs, Mr. Charles Edike, said the container with number TUCU 9598802 contained two vehicles— a Range Rover Sports and a Chevrolet Express bus—which were brought in from the United States.

Edike said the security items found in the container were weapons that could cause damage to Nigerians, adding that with the arrest of the agent, it will not take long before the importer will be apprehended.

He said: “Yesterday evening officers examined the container and found that some items are of security concerns to us and after the search, more items were uncovered and these were ammunition, a hand gun, pellets.These things are beyond the ordinary.

“Beides the hand gun and cartridges found inside the container, other security items uncovered include several packs of tear gas, a long torch that has a camera, Naval caps, military boots, United States Army barge and other security barges as well as military belts.”

Meanwhile, officers from the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, of the NCS, yesterday, stormed the Ports and Terminal Multi-purpose Limited, PTML, Command extension at the Mile 2 end of the Apapa–Oshodi expressway, shooting indiscriminately into the air causing clearing agents, passers-by and those working around the area to run for their dear lives.

The incident which occurred some minutes past noon, saw the Customs officers chasing the fleeing agents.

Speaking on the development, Public Relations Officer of the terminal, Mr. Steve Okoma, said leaders of the associations came to the terminal and forcefully ejected all the agents from the termina without any explanation.

According to Okoma, after ejecting the agents, the team led by the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, locked the officers inside the termina, claiming that there is an important meeting for all agents.

He explained that the FOU operatives responded to the SOS call sent by an agent to come to aid of Customs officers who were held to ransom.

An eye witness who identified himself as Leonard Ifi, explained that though there was a rowdy situation earlier on as a result of the insistence by leaders of the various agent associations that the terminal be locked up to enable them hold their meeting to discuss the Tin-can Island issue, the situation was calm before the shooting incident