BADAGRY/Nigeria: A renewed crackdown on cross-border smuggling along the Badagry waterways has led to the transfer of 354 bags of suspected smuggled foreign parboiled rice from the Nigerian Navy to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), underscoring ongoing efforts by security agencies to curb the illicit movement of goods through Nigeria’s maritime borders.
The handover was carried out by the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Nigerian Navy, Badagry, with the Commanding Officer, Navy Captain S.M. Kabir, saying the exercise followed the successful interception of the contraband during a targeted operation within the base’s area of responsibility.
Kabir, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said the seized rice was recovered during an operation along Kese Creek in the Badagry waterways, an area that has remained under surveillance because of persistent smuggling activities.
According to him, the recovered items were formally handed over in two batches at the FOB jetty in Badagry in line with existing inter-agency procedures governing the transfer of seized contraband.
He said 171 bags of 50-kilogramme foreign parboiled rice were transferred to officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, Western Marine Command, while the remaining 183 bags were handed over to officials of the Service’s Seme Area Command.
The naval officer explained that the operation formed part of ongoing efforts to disrupt smuggling networks operating along the nation’s inland waterways and strengthen enforcement against economic crimes within the maritime domain.
He noted that sustained collaboration between the Nigerian Navy and the Nigeria Customs Service remains critical to protecting Nigeria’s economy and improving border security through coordinated enforcement operations.
Kabir said the Navy would continue to intensify surveillance and patrols across its operational area to prevent criminal elements from exploiting the waterways for illegal activities, while urging members of the public to provide credible information that could support security agencies in the fight against smuggling and other maritime crimes.
The latest handover reflects the continued collaboration between the Nigerian Navy and the Nigeria Customs Service to tighten enforcement along the Badagry axis, one of the country’s strategic border corridors, as authorities sustain efforts to curb the illegal importation of prohibited goods into Nigeria.
