Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Illegally Exporting Guns to Nigeria

The Bureau of Industry and Security announced that Emenike Charles Nwankwoala, a Maryland probation officer, was sentenced on January 3, 2011, to 37 months in prison in connection with a scheme to export guns and ammunition to Nigeria.

Nwankwoala is sentenced for the delivery of a package containing a gun to a carrier without notifying the carrier of the gun and for illegally exporting arms and controlled goods without possessing the licenses or authorizations from the Department of State or the Commerce Department to export the firearms and ammunition to Nigeria, nor a federal license to engage in the business of dealing in firearms.

Commerce Dept Had Denied License to Export Shotguns to Nigeria

In February 2009, Nwankwoala applied for an export license to export shotguns to Nigeria for use in the operation of a newly-opened range in Nigeria. The Commerce Department denied the license because Nwankwoala was unable to provide evidence of this newly-opened range.

In May 2009, Nwankwoala told an undercover ICE agent that he had made a large profit in ten years from shipping shotguns to Nigeria in shipping containers with vehicles and hospital beds. He said he knew that he needed a license to ship the guns, but had not obtained one because he could not identify the end user as required by federal law. The end user was not licensed to receive the weapons.

Guns Falsely Shipped to Nigeria as “Household Goods and Personal Effects”

From December 2008 to April 2009, Nwankwoala purchased at least 62 shotguns from two different companies. He falsely advised one company that he had an export license and that the shotguns were for hunting in Nigeria. Later in 2009, Nwankwoala prepared a shipping container for shipment to Nigeria with 24 shotguns, six pistols and ammunition, concealed in suitcases and a car. He falsely indicated that the container’s contents were “used household goods and personal effects” and a “used auto.” The ship arrived in Nigeria in September 2009, and the container was returned for inspection by U.S. and Spanish law enforcement which seized the firearms, ammunition and automobile.

BIS notes that from August 2006 through August 2009, eight other shipments were made to Nigeria in an identical manner.