Top sources told SaharaReporters on Wednesday that the contraband rice is being brought from Benin Republic and smuggled into Badagry Waterside, with areas like the Marina Customs base in Badagry, Iya Afin, and Erekiti being the first ports of call for the goods.
Some personnel of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) have been accused of aiding and abetting the smuggling of rice into Lagos State.
Top sources told SaharaReporters on Wednesday that the contraband rice is being brought from Benin Republic and smuggled into Badagry Waterside, with areas like the Marina Customs base in Badagry, Iya Afin, and Erekiti being the first ports of call for the goods.
The allegations were made by different rice dealers who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity.
“There are lots of rice smuggling going on from Cotonou into Nigeria and the Customs is aware; yet they are doing nothing about it,” a source who preferred anonymity because of the sensitivity of the development told SaharaReporters.
Another source stated that smugglers pay as much as N250,000 per boat to corrupt officials of the Nigerian Customs to allow the illegal activity to continue.
“Each boat contains between 120–150 bags of rice and each boat is taxed at N250,000 by the corrupt Customs officials, making it possible for the contraband rice to fill the Nigerian market.”
Videos and pictures obtained exclusively by SaharaReporters show smugglers on boats bringing rice into the country.
A respondent who spoke on the development lamented the impact of such smuggling on those doing legitimate business.
“This Cotonou Rice can be found in parts of Lagos, for instance go to Sango, you will find it. If we who sell local rice face this issue, how are we expected to survive. The government say they are not aware that these smugglers are having free access into the country using waterways. We are pleading that something should be done about the illegal and contraband importation,” the respondent who also asked not to be named told SaharaReporters.
This activity reportedly continued despite the presence of a Customs boat stationed at the same location.
SaharaReporters contacted the Nigerian Customs Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, seeking comments on the development.
However, he did not answer his calls and had yet to respond to text messages sent to his line as of the time of filing this report.
Rice smuggling has been a persistent challenge facing the Nigerian market.
In April, the Nigerian Navy announced the interception of no fewer than 1,306 bags of foreign parboiled rice in the Majidun community, Ikorodu West Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The seizure was made by the Maritime Component of Operation AWATSE, under the leadership of Commodore Paul Ponfa Nimmyel, who also commands the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT and serves as the Maritime Component Commander of South-West Operation AWATSE.
In a press release signed by Lieutenant Hussaini Ibrahim, Base Information Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT, and obtained by SaharaReporters, Commodore Nimmyel disclosed that the interception occurred on Saturday, April 12, 2025, during routine security and anti-smuggling operations conducted by the Operation AWATSE team within its jurisdiction.
“Some vehicles suspected to be involved in smuggling activities attempted to evade security at its checkpoint, which necessitated a swift pursuit by the Operation AWATSE Quick Response Team (QRT) in accordance with the Joint Task Force’s Standard Operating Procedures,” the statement had read.
Source: SaharaReporters
