The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, FOB, Badagry, has handed over 419 bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice to the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Seme Area Command, in a coordinated operation aimed at curbing smuggling across the nation’s coastal corridors.
The seizure followed intensified patrols and surveillance operations by the Navy’s Quick Response Teams along the Badagry-Porto Novo Creek and adjoining backwaters—areas notorious for smuggling activities.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony, the Commanding Officer, FOB Badagry, Navy Captain B. O. Omotayo, represented by the Base Administrative Officer, Lieutenant Commander S. O. Talabi, reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to maritime security and economic protection.
He said the operation was in line with the Chief of the Naval Staff’s Strategic Directive 06–2023, which prioritizes maintaining a secure maritime environment as a catalyst for national development.
“Our actions are guided by the Chief of the Naval Staff’s directive to ensure that Nigeria’s maritime space remains safe, productive, and free from criminal activities. We will continue to work closely with sister agencies to deny smugglers the freedom to operate,” Captain Omotayo stated.
He commended the personnel of the base for their vigilance and professionalism, stressing that their consistent efforts have disrupted several smuggling routes and deterred economic saboteurs operating along the waterways.
“The Nigerian Navy, particularly the Badagry base, will sustain intelligence-led operations while enhancing collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and local communities to maintain pressure on those undermining the nation’s economy,” he added.
Captain Omotayo further warned individuals involved in smuggling and other illicit maritime activities to desist, affirming the Navy’s readiness to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial waters and economic interests.
The handover to the Nigeria Customs Service was conducted under the framework of the Harmonized Standard Operating Procedure (HSOP) on inter-agency collaboration, reinforcing the synergy between security and enforcement agencies in combating cross-border crimes.