A tragic incident occurred during an anti-smuggling operation in the Badagry area of Lagos State, where a Nigerian Navy officer lost his life after a boat capsized.
The officer, identified as OS Nuhu, was part of a team deployed to intercept smugglers transporting bags of rice from the Republic of Benin into Nigeria. The operation, carried out on Saturday, resulted in the seizure of over 20 boats laden with contraband rice. However, one of the boats capsized during the mission, causing the immediate death of OS Nuhu. Another officer was critically injured and rushed to a medical facility, with his current condition yet unknown.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the raid followed investigative reports exposing the activities of rice smugglers in the region. The operation was led by Captain Oyeleye Omotayo and targeted creeks around Badagry and Porto-Novo.
The Nigerian Navy has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident.
Meanwhile, prior reports by SaharaReporters had implicated some Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) personnel in aiding rice smuggling operations. Whistleblowers alleged that corrupt officials collect bribes—reportedly up to ₦250,000 per boat—to allow illegal shipments to pass through checkpoints unnoticed. Each boat is said to carry between 120 to 150 bags of rice.
Key smuggling points were identified as Marina Customs base, Iya Afin, and Erekiti in Badagry. Videos and photos obtained by SaharaReporters show smuggling activities along these routes.
Efforts to get a response from the NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, were unsuccessful as calls and text messages went unanswered.
This latest incident highlights the growing danger faced by security personnel on the frontlines of the fight against smuggling, as well as the urgent need for systemic reform within agencies tasked with border control.
