NCS Seizes 2,339 Bags of Foreign Rice Worth ₦211.1m in Ogun
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By Godwin Obi
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun I Area Command, Idiroko, has intensified its battle against smuggling with the seizure of 2,339 bags of foreign parboiled rice valued at ₦211.1 million, in a major enforcement operation aimed at protecting Nigeria’s agricultural investments and strengthening food security.
Area Comptroller Olukayode Afeni, who disclosed this on Friday at a press briefing in Idiroko, Ogun State, said the seizure was part of the Command’s sustained campaign against the illegal movement of prohibited goods across the nation’s borders. He warned that unchecked smuggling was taking a heavy toll on local farmers, manufacturers and investors, with some rice mills reportedly forced to close while farmers suffered mounting financial losses.
Afeni described smuggling as economic sabotage, stressing that every illegally imported bag of rice represents a direct threat to domestic production, employment and Nigeria’s quest for food self-sufficiency. “Every time a bag of rice and other prohibited goods crosses the borders illegally, it deals a direct blow to our domestic industries,” he said, adding that billions of naira had been invested by government and private entrepreneurs to expand local production.
The Comptroller also expressed concern over the potential health risks associated with smuggled food products, particularly where such commodities are stored or repackaged under unhygienic conditions. Beyond the rice seizure, the Command intercepted 70 cartons of basmati rice and 30 bags of foreign sugar, each weighing 50kg, alongside 2,674 pieces of new shorts and trousers, 3,760 pieces of new tops and bales of second-hand clothing, 11,450 litres of PMS in kegs, 1,750 litres of PMS in drums, 30 kegs of diesel, 100 bags of fertiliser and 85 fire extinguishers.
Other seizures included 480 cartons of Pure Haven drinks, 53 packages of oats, 47 cartons of cosmetics, 36 packages of hair accessories, three packages of surgical shoes and 127 new purses. Afeni placed the combined Duty Paid Value of all the seized goods at an impressive ₦3.574 billion, underscoring the scale of the Command’s ongoing anti-smuggling operations.
He further disclosed that the Command generated ₦90.07 million in July through baggage assessments, auctions of perishable goods, PMS and other charges. Afeni reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to sustain aggressive enforcement of Federal Government policies, warning smugglers that prohibited goods would continue to be intercepted and vehicles used to facilitate illicit trade impounded. He urged those engaged in smuggling to abandon the illegal trade and embrace legitimate businesses, while commending the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for his leadership and support in strengthening border security and the fight against smuggling.
“No nation can grow when its borders are treated as gateways for criminality.”
