The Nigerian Navy on Tuesday received no fewer than 86 units of impounded drones from the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS). Individuals and organisations without an end-user certificate imported the drones, leading to confiscation by the NCS. Speaking during presentation of the drones to the Navy at the FCT Command warehouse, the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.), said the drones were intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and were subsequently forfeited to the government. He said the End User Certificate which is issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) was a requirement for purchase and import of the drones and other security items into the country. Bomoi, who represented the Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), said the Service secured court forfeiture for the items before being handed over to the Nigerian Navy.
He said, “The drones are among the things that require End User certificate and the End User certificate is being issued by the National Security Adviser (NSA), so failure to have End User certificate we have to intercept the drones, seize the drones and condemn it and this is exactly what we did.
“We intercepted it from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and we seized it, and we went to High Court to get the condemnation order.
“So at this point I’m directed by the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd) to hand over 86 pieces of drone to the Nigerian Navy as part of the cooperation and synergy among the security agencies,” Bomoi said.
The Chief of Training and Operations, Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral Solomon Agada, who received the drones on behalf of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gamba, said the drones will be used appropriately in the interest of national security.
He added that the gesture was part of the ongoing collaboration within the Services towards ensuring a peaceful Nigeria.