Election Fever? Suspect arrested in Nigeria for smuggling body armour and military helmets from SA

The arrest of a suspect accused of “illegally importing” military hardware from South Africa into Nigeria has highlighted the precarious security situation in the West African country ahead of an important election.

Earlier this week, Oluwole Ojewale, from the Institute for Security Studies, and Tosin Osasona, from Lagos’ Centre for Public Policy Alternatives, reported that Nigeria had a security crisis that was being exacerbated by armed groups.

‘Security has worsened’

“Over the past seven years, the government has invested over N12-trillion ($26.5-billion) in military assets, expanded the armed forces and focused on degrading violent extremist groups in the north-east region,” they wrote.

“Ironically, security has worsened in other parts of Nigeria.”

Presidential elections are set to be held there on 25 February.

“The new president must grapple with a broken state dominated by armed groups and socioeconomic problems. This calls for a radical departure from old approaches,” Ojewale and Osasona wrote.

“The security and defence infrastructure also needs modernising, starting with police reform and better accountability in the military.”

Body armour, helmets and cop badges

Nigerian customs controller Sambo Dangaladima said the intercepted military items were imported from South Africa. A suspect had been arrested ‘due to his inability to produce an end-user certificate, which is the lawful prerequisite for such importation’. The items included body armour, police badges and military jackets. (Photo: Nigeria Customs Service)

Last week, the question of military assets relating to Nigeria cropped up after an arrest was made.

Nigeria’s Customs Service said in a statement on 18 January that members of its Murtala Muhammed Airport cargo command division intercepted a consignment of “military hardware” consisting of:

• 352 body armour pads


• 309 military helmets


• 119 “pieces of police badge”


• 106 “armless” military jackets


• 105 body armour chest plates


• 33 body armour side pads


• 5 bulletproof jackets

Photographs from the scene showed items including camouflage vests and beige, black and olive green helmets. There were also items clearly labelled with the word “police”.

Customs controller Sambo Dangaladima said the items were imported from South Africa and a suspect had been arrested “due to his inability to produce an end-user certificate, which is the lawful prerequisite for such importation”.

Security company and SA shopping

While Dangaladima identified the suspect, Daily Maverick could not confirm whether he had appeared in court or what has since happened to him.

It was not immediately clear what the seized military items were intended for. Daily Maverick has, however, established that an individual with the same name as the arrested suspect ran a private security company, founded in Lagos, in 2008.

That private security company boss previously made purchases from a business based in Durban which provides items related to personal protection.

In a testimonial on the Durban company’s website, the private security boss said their company “has been purchasing personal protection security gadgets and equipment [from the Durban company] for several years”.

Investigations into the seized military items were reportedly ongoing.

Daily Maverick was unable to get an update on the case from a Nigerian customs official by the time of publication.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Customs Service said cartons of medication — “hard drugs”, given the high level of certain substances in the medication — imported from India and Pakistan were also intercepted (in a separate case) at roughly the same time as the military items.

Election focus

“We are very much mindful of the fact that 2023 is an election year in Nigeria — the inflow traffic of these hard drugs that induce our youths to do extraordinary things (when taken) are bound to increase…

“But I can assure the unscrupulous importers that [this] is the most dangerous route for their illicit trade because we are always here to catch them and ensure that they face the wrath of the law,” Dangaladima warned.

Security issues relating to next month’s presidential elections are making news in Nigeria.

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Last week, the Daily Post reported that the People’s Democratic Party had condemned the establishment by the All Progressives Congress (APC) of a group known as the “Jagaban Army” for Bola Tinubu.

Its report said: “The (People’s Democratic Party) said the ‘dangerous militia’ formed for the All Progressives Congress… presidential candidate affirms its position that the APC plans to unleash violence and disrupt the polls.”

But the APC’s youth wing was of the view that the “Jagaban Army” was “fully democratic”, and issued a statement saying it was “peaceful”.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JAGABAN ARMY IS A PEACEFUL, DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION OF GRASSROOTS CANVASSERS FOR TINUBU/SHETTIMA AND THE APC.
The Office of the APC National Youth Leader wishes to restate the following for the sake of clarification: pic.twitter.com/mRer8YMiad

— Progressive Youth Wing (@apcngyouthwing) January 16, 2023

In December, an office of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission was set alight, adding to concerns about violence linked to the upcoming election. DM