Customs Denies Journalist’s Allegation Of Aiding Rice Smuggling

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has responded to allegation suggesting that its officers were colluding with a smuggler to bring large consignment of rice into Nigeria from Benin Republic.

The accusation was made by a Nigerian investigative journalist, Mr Fisayo Soyombo, via a X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday.

But, responding to the allegation in a chat with our reporter on Monday, the Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada, dismissed the claims, describing them as cheap blackmail.

The journalist had alleged on his X (formerly Twitter) that more than 130,000 kilograms of rice were to be smuggled across the Ogun State border Sunday night under the supervision of certain Customs officers.

According to Soyombo, the rice was to be transported in over 2,000 cars, each carrying approximately 65 bags of rice, from Bene in Benin Republic into Sango in Ogun State.

The journalist specifically named one Adeyemi Habeeb Abdulganiy, known locally as “Abuga,” as a central figure in coordinating the movement.

Soyombo further alleged that some of the vehicles would enter Sango from the Toll Gate by driving against traffic, posing a risk to other road users.

He also claimed that other vehicles would reach Sango through Ifo and Oju-Ore-Ota, apparently with the knowledge or assistance of Customs officers.

Responding to the allegations, the NCS’s spokesperson questioned the motives behind Soyombo’s post, suggesting that the journalist might have been acting prematurely.

“Why could he not wait for the crime to be committed before shouting wolves where there is none?” Maiwada said, maintaining that the NCS is fully committed to combatting smuggling and that its officers are always “ready to suppress smuggling activities to the barest minimum and will not relent in doing so.”

Maiwada added that the NCS was aware of individuals he described as “disgruntled and/or sponsored,” whom he accused of masquerading as concerned citizens but allegedly attempting to divert the attention of customs officers for alleged ulterior purposes.

“Sometimes, these individuals aid the activities of ‘factional’ smuggling gangs themselves,” he alleged, though he provided no additional details.

Emphasising that he could not divulge the NCS’s “active intelligence,” Maiwada assured the public that customs officers were prepared to take decisive action against any smuggling operations and their collaborators in line with the provisions of the Nigerian laws.

He insisted that the NCS was already a step ahead in its intelligence operations to curb smuggling activities.