Nigerian Customs Service has reportedly intercepted a bomb production materials in Benin, the Edo State capital.
The interception was made by the Federal Operations Unit, Zone C, on Monday.
According to the NCS, it intercepted bomb-making raw materials from suspected smugglers. Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Kayode Kolade, made the disclosure while addressing journalists at the unit’s warehouse in Benin City.
Kolade warned smugglers against importing explosives and other contraband in the interest of humanity or they will have the law to contend with.
He explained that 9 sacks of 50kg each contained explosive materials like fertilizers, device cables and superpower 90 chemicals.
The NCS also intercepted “1,329 bags, 50kg each of smuggled foreign parboiled rice; five cartons of 100mg DSP Cough Syrup with codeine containing 1000 bottles; 1 unit of armoured Bullion Van and 761 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing. Also, “883 cartons of various unregistered and expired medicaments including tramadol; 100 cartons of various wines; 5,737 pieces of used pneumatic tyres; 335 cartons of smuggled foreign tomato pastes and 300 cartons of foreign spaghetti.
“The zone also arrested nine suspects in connection with the seizures within the period under review – July 25th to September 23rd 2023.” Kolade added, “We all know the security implications if these explosive components get to their destination unchecked. It may interest you to know that Superpower 90 is designed for priming applications and as a column explosive in surface and underground mining and general blasting.
“The high detonation velocity and the robust nature of Superpower 90 make it an ideal primer for the initiation of column charge. Let’s us not just imagine if dynamites and landmines are detonated using these items,“ he added.