Police denies intercepting weapons laden container

The Commissioner of Police, Western Ports Command, Apapa, Celestine Okoye has refuted claims that weapons were found in a 20-foot container impounded by his men at the Tin Can Island Port last week.

Recall that a 14-foot container loaded with military camouflage uniforms and other suspected dangerous weapons intercepted by the Customs allegedly disappeared from Apapa Port, Lagos.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos Ports Command, Celestine Okoye, was said to have ordered his detectives to trace the location of the missing container and arrest both the importer and others connected with the importation within 24 hours.

However, Okoye in a recent statement said, “No single weapon was found in that container; just umbrellas with police camouflage, army camouflage and customs camouflage. There were also household items, pillows, baby toys and female hand bags.”

ALSO SEE: Military uniforms, weapons laden container disappears

He added that the police was investigating the source and motive behind the camouflaged umbrellas.

Okoye said, “The importer has to come and tell us his motive for importing those things whether he wants to use them as gifts to the military or he wants to prepare a proposal to the police or customs as gift items. So, he has to tell us the motive behind it.”

“In anything you put camouflage there must be a reason. And we know the situation of the country so whatever the things you are trying to do, if you put anything that concerns security it will implicate you immediately, because armed robbers are using camouflage to rob, terrorist are wearing it, and so on. So, we want to know. We don’t want to pre-empt to say maybe the man brought them to write proposal.  When he tells us, we then know but we want to listen to him first.”

Okoye said the container remains impounded until the importer comes forward or is arrested.