Nigeria weapons shipment seized

Many militant groups in the Niger Delta were first armed during elections

A container full of arms and ammunition has been seized by Nigerian customs officers in Lagos harbour.

One person has been arrested and officials are searching for the owner of the arms, which came in from the US.

A BBC reporter in Lagos says it has raised concerns about the proliferation of arms ahead of polls in 2011.

He says in the past politicians and their backers, known as "political godfathers", have recruited and armed young men to intimidate their rivals.

News of the seizure comes days after the end of an amnesty in the oil-rich Niger Delta, where the government has been urging militants to hand in their weapons.

Analysts say many of the area's militant groups were originally armed by political godfathers.

Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service say they intercepted the 40ft (12m) container while carrying out routine inspection at Apapa port in Lagos.

The BBC's Fidelis Mbah in Lagos says it is not the first shipment to be found this year.

In June two ships loaded with weapons were impounded by Nigeria's navy in the southern port of Calabar.

A third vessel escaped to sea.