According to a statement on Thursday, by the Base information officer, NNS BEECROFT, Sub Lieutenant HA Collins, the fishing boat was apprehended with aide of the Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, the Falcon Eye Alignment on Wednesday during a routine patrol.
The Nigerian Navy has said that its ship Beecroft patrol team intercepted a wooden fishing boat laden with no fewer than 44 bags of rice in the creeks of Agbara, Lagos State.
According to a statement on Thursday, by the Base information officer, NNS BEECROFT, Sub Lieutenant HA Collins, the fishing boat was apprehended with aide of the Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, the Falcon Eye Alignment on Wednesday during a routine patrol.
According to the statement, the boat's occupants, upon sighting the patrol team, abandoned the boat and fled. The patrol team effectively secured the boat, which was taking in water, and off-loaded a total of 44 bags of parboiled rice.
Following established protocols, the 44 bags of rice were transported to NNS BEECROFT Base and were handed over to officials of the Nigeria Customs Service for further necessary action.
The NNS Beecroft commander, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, said the navy would sustain efforts at enforcing custom laws and assist to uphold government policies which also included empowering small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) to flourish.
"The action of the Nigerian Navy at confiscating contrabands and particularly the prevention of importation of foreign rice into the country will undoubtedly boost efforts of local farmers towards revenue generation necessary to ameliorate poverty and food insecurity for economic prosperity.
"The Nigerian Navy under the watch of the Chief of the Naval staff Vice Admiral EI Ogalla remains resolute at curbing all forms of maritime crimes toward bolstering national security and stability," the release added.