A former Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Information, Peter
Dama, says up to 100 truckloads of rice are
smuggled across land borders
into Nigeria, with connivance of corrupt customs officials.
In a letter to the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Customs Services,
dated April 9, he said the smuggling will threaten the gains of local
rice production so far recorded in the country.
Dama said over 100 truckloads of smuggled rice are off-loaded daily
in big markets in Kano, Jos, Abuja, Lafiya and Katsina states.
Dama, owner of Swomen Dama farms, in Plateau state lamented that as a
result of these illegal activities, jobs and investment at the rice
mills and farms are threatened.
“l believe that some bad eggs within the Nigerian Customs Service and
few terrible Nigerians are conniving with these smugglers to frustrate
the efforts of Federal Government in attaining its food security drive.
“I am therefore calling on the authorities as a matter of urgency to
intensify border patrol and raid stores and warehouses harbouring
smuggled rice,” he said.
Dama wants smugglers caught circumventing the laws to be executed.
Credit: Ships&Ports
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