Navy arrests 4 suspects for allegedly smuggling rice in A/Ibom
Four suspects have been arrested around Effiat waterways by the Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base, Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state for smuggling 202 bags of 50kg rice from The Republic of Cameroon to Nigeria.
The suspected smugglers whose ages range from 25 to 37 years include three Nigerians and a Cameroonian were arrested on October 1around 8pm.
Parading the suspects at Mbo on Wednesday, the Commanding Officer, Forward Operations Base, Ibaka, Capt. Peter Yilme disclosed that the wooden boat used in ferrying the rice and the suspects was spotted during a routine patrol by navy gunboats.
According to Capt. Yilme, the latest arrest is the seventh the base has made within two weeks of his resumption as the commanding officer.
Speaking on Wednesday in Ibaka during the handover of the items to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Yilme noted that the navy is determined to end smuggling on the waterways in line with the directives of the chief of naval staff.
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Yilme, who was represented by the Base Operations Officer, Lt. Commander Kabiru Yusuf, said the navy has been consistent in monitoring activities on the waterways to check every form of criminality.
Receiving the four suspects and 202 bags of rice from the navy, Deputy Superintendent of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Alabi, Adedokun commended the navy for the cooperation existing between the two services.
One of the suspects, 30 –year- old Ejole Ebong, a Cameroonian, who works as a beach man, said he left Cameroon on October 1 to avoid the crisis there, but was unfortunate to join the boat carrying the rice.
“I am a Cameroonian; I live in the English side of Cameroon. Yesterday was October 1 and during this period, there is killing in the South West region of Cameroon.
“So I decided to come to Nigeria and stay for some time until everything is settled before I go back. This is my second time of coming to Nigeria. I entered the rice boat, but did not know there is contraband here,” he cried.
