By Fatima Saka
The Forward Operating Base (FOB) of the Nigerian Navy in Badagry, Lagos, has handed over a total of 354 bags of seized foreign parboiled rice to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as part of ongoing efforts to curb smuggling activities in the area.
The Commanding Officer of FOB Badagry, Navy Captain S.M. Kabir, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos, noting that the handover was conducted in line with extant regulations.
According to Kabir, the first batch of 171 bags (50kg each) was handed over at about 12:23 p.m. on August 4 to representatives of the NCS Western Marine Command at the jetty in Badagry. He added that a second batch of 183 bags (50kg each) was subsequently transferred at about 1:47 p.m. to officials of the NCS Seme Area Command at the same location.
He explained that the seizures were made during a targeted operation along Kese Creek within the Badagry waterways, where operatives intercepted and confiscated the smuggled rice.
“The handing over was in furtherance of FOB Badagry’s efforts to curb smuggling and other maritime crimes within its Area of Operations,” Kabir stated, adding that the exercise was concluded successfully at about 2:45 p.m. without any incidents.
The commanding officer emphasized that the sustained operations and seamless handover demonstrate the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to inter-agency collaboration, safeguarding national economic interests, and ensuring maritime security.
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Kabir further assured that the command would maintain an aggressive operational posture to deny criminal elements freedom of action within its area of responsibility.
He also called on members of the public to support security agencies with credible information to enhance the protection of the nation’s maritime domain.
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