Nigerian Navy Hands Over 125 Bags of Smuggled Rice to Customs in Lagos

By Zainab Uzomah| Abuja

The Nigerian Navy has handed over 125 bags of seized foreign parboiled rice to the Nigeria Customs Service following a successful anti-smuggling operation carried out by personnel of Naval Base Epe in Lagos State.

Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, led by Superintendent of Customs Chinedu Eboh, received the seized items during a formal handover at the Naval Base on May 5, 2026.

According to a statement issued by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the rice was intercepted on April 29 at about 3:00 a.m. following credible intelligence. Personnel of Naval Base Epe reportedly stopped a Peugeot J5 van with registration number EKY-168YC conveying 125 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice suspected to have been smuggled into Lagos through illegal border routes.

The statement noted that the seized items were handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service in line with existing regulations and inter-agency collaboration procedures for further investigation and necessary action.

The handover was conducted on behalf of the Commander of Naval Base Epe, Captain Levi Deyin, by the Acting Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Elvis Egbe.

The Navy said the operation underscored its commitment to combating smuggling, protecting the nation’s economy and strengthening internal security through collaboration with relevant agencies.