Mirian Gom 
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Nigerian Navy hands over 58 bags of suspected smuggled foreign rice to the Nigeria Customs Service following a maritime interception in Lagos.
The seizure occurred during a routine patrol by NNS BEECROFT along the Apapa waterways, according to Base Information Officer Lieutenant Hussaini Ibrahim.
Naval operatives intercept two wooden boats near Liverpool, Apapa, on August 31, after suspects abandon the vessels and flee on sighting patrol officers. “The operators escaped, leaving behind the boats and the suspected contraband,” Ibrahim says.
Commander of NNS BEECROFT, Rear Admiral Paul Nimmyel, says the operation is intelligence-driven and aligns with the Navy’s mandate to secure Nigeria’s maritime domain.
“The Nigerian Navy abhors all forms of maritime crime, particularly smuggling within coastal waters,” Nimmyel states.
The seized items are formally handed over to Assistant Superintendent of Customs I, Kehinde Saliman, for investigation and prosecution.
The Navy reaffirms its commitment to inter-agency collaboration to curb smuggling and protect national economic interests.
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