The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) Badagry says it has intercepted 109 bags of foreign parboiled rice suspected to have been smuggled from the Benin Republic, handing them over to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in a renewed effort to combat smuggling and secure Nigeria’s maritime borders.
This was contained in a press statement made available to our correspondent. According to the statement, acting on an intelligence tip-off, the patrol team conducted a cordon-and-search operation around the Kposuko community along the Badagry creeks at about 11:30 p.m. on Monday, January 6, 2025.
The rice was discovered in two fiber boats near Harmony Jetty. Although the smugglers fled on sighting the naval patrol team, the seized items were handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Friday, January 17, 2025.
During the handover ceremony, the Commanding Officer of FOB Badagry, Captain LM Osuman, reiterated the Navy’s commitment to combating smuggling and securing Nigeria’s maritime domain. He stated that the operation aligns with the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla’s mission to maintain a professionally competent naval force and ensure a safe maritime environment conducive to economic activities.
The operation was conducted in accordance with the Harmonized Standard Procedures on Arrest, Detention, and Prosecution (HSOP-AD&P) 2016 and forms part of the ongoing OP WATER GUARD initiative. The 109 bags of rice were handed over to Assistant Deputy Comptroller of Customs J.I. Ohagwu, Officer in Charge of Operations, Seme Command, to ensure further investigation and compliance with legal processes.
