Navy Arrests Three Smugglers, Impounds 759 Bags of Rice

Three Nigerian smugglers have been arrested by the Nigerian Navy for illegally importing 759 bags of rice into the country from Cameroon through Akwa Ibom State.

 The navy at the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State made the arrest, and the culprits were yesterday handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for further probe.

 According to the navy, the suspects were arrested recently at about 3 a.m. at the sea following a tip-off as they navigated into Nigeria’s maritime area.

Names of the suspects arrested were given as Yahaya Balaribe, 32, from Borno State; Godwin Owoyemi, 23, and Michael Aderemi, both from Igbokoda area of Ondo State.

Parading the suspects, the Commanding Officer, FOB, Ibaka, Captain Yusuf Idris, warned that the navy would not tolerate any smuggler using the Nigeria maritime environment for any dubious business or operations.

“On January 30, the men of the Forward Operating Base in Ibaka, acting on a tip-off, intercepted and seized a large wooden boat loaded with 759 bags of rice. We also arrested three suspected smugglers along with the items.

 “In line with the harmonised standard operating procedures, the Nigerian Navy, yesterday (Wednesday) handed over the suspects and the items to NCS for investigation and further necessary actions.

 “The Nigerian Navy therefore warned the would-be smugglers and other maritime offenders like pirates, illegal oil thieves and their likes to keep away from Nigeria maritime environment as the current leadership of navy will hunt for them wherever they may be,” he said.

 He stressed that the Nigerian navy would continue to give protection and assistance to legitimate uses of the country’s maritime environment to carry out their legitimate businesses with a view to enhancing the economic prosperity of the country..

 Receiving the suspects, the Comptroller, Eastern Marine Command of the Customs, Port Harcourt, Ajiya Masaya, said the fight against smuggling is a collective responsibility of every Nigerian to protect the country’s industries and also safeguard the health of Nigerians from consuming toxic foreign goods.

Smuggling, he maintained, is a sabotage to the Nigeria’s economy, cautioning that any country that allows smuggling cannot grow its economy.

He lauded the navy for collaborating with customs to curtail the continued and spread of smuggling within the Nigerian maritime environment. 

According to him, “Fighting smuggling cannot be left only for Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). Everybody has a duty to stop or reduce the menace. Smuggling is sabotage. It is a fact that any country that allows smuggling cannot grow.”

 Reacting to the arrest, one of the suspects, Balaribe, said he had been working on the boat since November 2017. He explained that as a worker in the boat, his duty was to upload and deliver the imported goods to their customers wherever they might be.

He said: “I work on the boat. I have been working in the boat since November 2017. The bags of rice are from Cameroon. I don’t know that imported rice from other countries to Nigeria is a contraband item.

 “We are never told; our work is to convey the goods to their destinations. Our duty is to bring the rice here, the owner of the consignment that is one Mr. Ade, is supposed to come here and take his delivery for onward distribution to his customers. We have not heard from him since we arrived in here.”