.. ..Reiterates FG’s Ban On Rice Importations Through Land Borders
Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, has said it has intercepted five trucks carrying 2,800 bags of 50kg foreign rice, with a Duty Paid Value of N919.5 million between July 1 and 19, 2025 just as it emphasized on the federal government’s ban on the importations of rice through the land borders.
The command also confiscated 1,319 additional bags of rice, bringing the total seized to 4,119 bags within the stated period and 898 parcels of cannabis sativa.
Displaying the seized items, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Dr Benedict Oramalugo, attributed the seizures to credible intelligence gathered by operatives along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor.
According to him, the five trucks were intercepted with 2,800 bags of rice and 250 bales of second-hand clothing.
He disclosed that the command between June 14 and June 30 made other seizures, including 898 parcels of cannabis sativa, 40 bags of sugar, 64 bags of flour, and 50 cartons of tomato ketchup.
“Also recovered were one boat with an engine, 20 bales of second-hand clothes, and four bales of used shoes,” he added.
However, he puts the total DPV for all seizures at N1,268,794,474. At the same time, he attributed the successes to the vigilance and commitment of officers and men of the Seme Command, with support from the Nigerian military and other agencies.
He reiterated the Federal Government’s ban on rice imports via land borders to support local farmers and reduce rice dependency.
He said: “Nigeria is the highest producer of rice in Africa, with an annual output exceeding 8 million metric tonnes, surpassing Egypt and Tanzania.
“However, our rice mills continue to face challenges due to insufficient patronage, which hampers their ability to operate at full capacity,” he said.
The CAC said the command within the period, facilitated trade, the movement of 1,837 trucks, equivalent to over 116,723.26MT of made-in-Nigeria goods.
“These exports had a Free On Board (FOB) value of N22,368,388,976.10k only. While the National Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) fees stood at N111,841,944.87 kobo only.
He revealed that between May and July 2025, the Command generated a total revenue of N1,593,676,123.26.
“The seized Cannabis Sativa were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Seme Area Command, represented by Idris Muhammed,” he added.
He lamented that some individuals still engage in smuggling, undermining Nigeria’s economic progress.
He warned that the Seme Command will not entertain any form of smuggling or illegal trade.