Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT patrol team during a routine patrol at approximately 0530 on 11 October 2023, aided by the state-of-the-art Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, the Falcon Eye Alignment, apprehended a wooden fishing boat laden with bags of rice in the creeks of Agbara, Lagos state.
The boat’s occupants, upon sighting the patrol team, abandoned the boat and fled. The patrol team effectively secured the boat, which was taking in water, and off-loaded a total of 44 bags of parboiled rice.
Following established protocols, the 44 bags of rice were transported to NNS BEECROFT Base and were handed over to officials of the Nigeria Customs Service for further necessary action.
The Nigerian Navy would sustain efforts at enforcing custom laws and assist in upholding government policies which also includes empowering small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to flourish. The action of the Nigerian Navy in confiscating contrabands and particularly the prevention of importation of foreign rice into the country will undoubtedly boost the efforts of local farmers towards revenue generation necessary to ameliorate poverty and food insecurity for economic prosperity.
The Nigerian Navy under the watch of the Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral EI Ogalla remains resolute in curbing all forms of maritime crimes toward bolstering national security and stability.
