Smugglers Abandon Several Bags Of Rice On Motorbikes After Spotting The Customs

Smugglers abandon several bags of rice after Nigeria Customs discovered their illegal route in Idiroko, Ogun State.

It’s no news that the Nigerian Government has closed its borders to prevent smugglers from bringing rice into the country.

The affected boarders, spread across four geopolitical zones across the country, includes those in the South-South, South-West, North-Central and North-West.

The move has also forced the Nigerien government to ban the export of rice to Nigeria.

Reacting to the development, Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Hameed Ali, He said,

“The government, through diplomatic channels will continue to engage our neighbours to agree to comply with ECOWAS Protocol on Transit.

“Goods that are on the prohibition list in Nigeria, such as rice, used clothes, poultry products and vegetable oil -should not be exported to the country.

“As a result of this [border] closure, Niger Republic has already circulated an order banning exportation of rice in any form to Nigeria.”

He also revealed land borders will remain closed pending when neighboring countries stop taking Nigeria for a smuggling destination.

Importers of perishable goods are also feeling the heats of the exercise. Some of now have consignment of goods trapped in Cotonou due to the sudden closure of Seme and Idiroko borders.

A clearing agent based in Seme said,

“Some of those goods are perishable and the Nigerian Government has collected duty on them. I don’t know why they won’t allow the goods to come in.

“There are some perishable goods that will go bad in 28 days when this operation ends,”

Despite these measures, importation of rice through smuggling still continues. This trending video shows several bags of rice on motorbikes abandoned by smugglers after spotting the Nigerian Customs officers in idiroko, Ogun State.

Each of these heavy-duty motorbikes has about five to six 50kg bags of rice neetly arranged on it.

Still on rice smuggling…
The Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base (FOB), in Akwa Ibom, has also nabbed four suspected smugglers in connection with the smuggling of rice into the country.

The suspects were caught while trying to use wooden boat to smuggle 220 bags of 50kg rice from Cameroon into the country.

The Nigerian Navy has handed over the bags of rice to the Nigeria Customs Service.