The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has firmly rejected recent accusations from investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo, who claimed that customs officers were involved in smuggling rice into Nigeria from Benin Republic. Speaking with the press on Monday, NCS spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada dismissed Soyombo’s allegations as baseless and “cheap blackmail.”
Soyombo had alleged on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that more than 130,000 kilograms of rice were smuggled across the Ogun State border under the watch of certain customs officers. According to Soyombo, the rice was allegedly transported in over 2,000 vehicles, each loaded with about 65 bags, moving from Bebe in Benin Republic to Sango in Ogun State. He further claimed that some of these vehicles dangerously entered Sango through the toll gate by driving against traffic, while others traveled through routes in Ifo and Oju-Ore-Ota, all purportedly with customs’ knowledge.
Responding to the allegations, Maiwada questioned Soyombo’s motives, suggesting the journalist was prematurely stirring controversy. “Why couldn’t he wait for the alleged crime to actually happen before crying wolf?” Maiwada remarked. He affirmed that the NCS is dedicated to fighting smuggling and that officers are always prepared to clamp down on such illegal activities.
Maiwada also accused certain “disgruntled or sponsored individuals” of feigning concern while allegedly trying to distract customs officers for ulterior motives. He claimed that some of these individuals might even support rival smuggling gangs, although he did not elaborate on specifics. While he refrained from sharing details of ongoing intelligence operations, Maiwada reassured the public that customs officers are actively prepared to disrupt smuggling operations and enforce Nigerian laws against any collaborators.
