By: Manoah Kikekon
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| PHOTO CAPTION: Lt.Cdr. Samson Talabi, the Base Administrative Officer (BAO) of Federal Operating Base (FOB) representing Navy Capt. Leye Omotayo, the Commanding Officer during handing over of seized 419 bags of foreign rice to Deputy Comptroller Femi Egunjobi, DC Enforcement, Seme Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service in Badagry on Friday. |
The Forward Operating Base (FOB) of the Nigerian Navy in Badagry, Lagos, has demonstrated its unwavering vigilance by intercepting and transferring a massive haul of 419 bags of foreign parboiled rice.
The contraband, seized in a strategic operation, was officially handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, on Friday, October 3, 2025.
This pivotal event underscores the ongoing, multi-agency battle to secure Nigeria's economic frontiers and protect local markets from the influx of illegally imported goods.
The seizure was not a matter of chance but the result of calculated, intelligence-driven missions conducted by the Navy's Quick Response Teams. Acting on the directives of Navy Captain Leye Omotayo, the Commanding Officer of the FOB, these teams conducted intensified surveillance and proactive patrols along the intricate and often exploited Badagry-Porto Novo Creek and its adjoining backwaters. These labyrinthine waterways have long been a favoured route for economic saboteurs seeking to bypass official channels.
Represented at the handover ceremony by Lieutenant Commander Samson Talabi, the Base Administrative Officer, Captain Omotayo reaffirmed the Navy's steadfast commitment to enforcing the Federal Government's policies on maritime security and economic protection.
He described the interception as a "major breakthrough in its anti-smuggling operations," signaling a clear message that the nation's maritime corridors are under constant and watchful guard against such illegal ventures.
This operation is firmly rooted in the strategic vision of the Nigerian Navy's high command. Captain Omotayo emphasized that the activities of the Badagry Base are directly guided by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla’s Strategic Directive 06–2023.
This critical directive places a premium on securing Nigeria's maritime environment as an indispensable prerequisite for the nation's sustainable socio-economic development, highlighting the direct link between national security and economic prosperity.
The successful handover also served as a powerful testament to the importance of inter-agency collaboration. Conducted in strict compliance with the Harmonised Standard Operating Procedure (HSOP), the transfer to the Nigeria Customs Service exemplifies how synergy between security agencies amplifies their effectiveness.
Such cooperation ensures that seized items are properly documented and processed, closing the loop on illicit activities and strengthening the overall security framework within the Badagry axis.
In his address, Captain Omotayo commended the professional conduct and resilience of the officers and men stationed at the FOB Badagry. He praised their dedication in ensuring that smugglers and perpetrators of cross-border crimes are systematically denied the freedom to operate.
Looking ahead, he pledged that the Base would continue to intensify its intelligence-driven operations while actively fostering stronger collaborations with sister security agencies and engaging strategically with host communities.