By Bavoriat Clara
The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) Badagry has handed over 419 bags of seized foreign parboiled rice to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, in a renewed effort to combat smuggling and safeguard Nigeria’s maritime and border corridors.
The handover, which took place on Friday, 3 October 2025, aligns with extant regulations and the Harmonized Standard Operating Procedure (HSOP) guiding inter-agency cooperation among security agencies.
According to a statement issued by the Commanding Officer, FOB Badagry, Navy Captain B.O. Omotayo, the contraband was intercepted at various points along the Badagry–Porto Novo Creek and adjoining backwaters during intensified surveillance and proactive patrols by the Base’s Quick Response Teams. He noted that the operations were part of ongoing efforts to curtail the activities of economic saboteurs who exploit the nation’s waterways and borderlines for illegal trade.
Speaking at the event, the Commanding Officer, represented by the Base Admin Officer, Lieutenant Commander S.O. Talabi, reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to enforcing the Federal Government’s policies on maritime security and economic protection. He emphasized that the Base’s operations are guided by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla’s Strategic Directive 06–2023, which underscores the need to secure Nigeria’s maritime environment for sustainable socio-economic development.
Captain Omotayo commended the dedication and professionalism of his officers and men in ensuring that smugglers and other cross-border criminals are denied freedom of action. He assured that the Base would sustain its intelligence-driven operations while strengthening collaboration with other security agencies and host communities within the Badagry area.
The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base Badagry reiterated its warning to those engaged in illegal maritime activities to desist, stressing that the Navy remains resolute in its mission to protect the nation’s territorial integrity and economic lifelines.
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