By; Manoah Kikekon
The Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Badagry, Lagos State, has dealt a major blow to smugglers, intercepting seven fiber boats loaded with bags of foreign parboiled rice along the Badagry-Porto Novo creek.
According to a reliable source in Badagry, the navy personnel carried out the operation on Saturday, catching the smugglers off guard. Upon sighting the naval patrol team, some suspects reportedly jumped into the water in a desperate bid to escape, while a few were arrested.
“However, they were hungry boat boys used by smugglers engaged in their nefarious activities,” the source revealed. The Nigerian Navy’s FOB Badagry has yet to release an official statement on the seizure.
Since Captain Leye Omotayo assumed command of FOB Badagry, the base has intensified 24-hour patrols on the waterways to curb illegal activities. The heightened surveillance has led to multiple interceptions, disrupting the operations of smugglers in the border region.
Navy has also strengthened synergy with other law enforcement agencies and local communities to combat smuggling more effectively. This joint effort aims to secure the nation’s borders and prevent the illegal importation of contraband goods, including foreign rice, which undermines local agriculture and the economy.
(NAN)