EFCC
Rice Smugglers: EFCC,
EFCC
Rice Smugglers: EFCC, Security Agencies Get Matching
Order
The days of the illicit rice smuggling business may soon be over as
the Presidency has given the anti-graft bodies, security agencies
and intelligence outfits, a marching order to put a stop to the
‘deliberate’ act of economic sabotage by persons it claimed do not
mean well for the nation.
The law enforcement agencies have also been mandated to check
the excesses of unrepentant smugglers, who have devised ways to
beat the security agencies and Customs officials in the import of
foreign rice into the country.
This is coming against the backdrop of the frightening alarm
raised by the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), who
recently said that over one million metric tons of rice have been
smuggled into the country in the last three months.
In the wake of RIPAN’s worrisome revelation, PRNigeria gathered
that some ‘highly notorious smugglers’ who operate within and
outside the country and their routes have been identified.
“The suspected smugglers and their collaborators in government
are currently being monitored. Not only will security operatives
raid various rice smugglers market across the country, their
patrons would soon be apprehended, while their bank accounts will
also be frozen,” disclosed a top intelligence source.
Meanwhile, as part of measures aimed at tackling rice smuggling
menace, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC)Ibrahim Magu, held a meeting with executive
officials of RIPAN, at his office in Abuja, on Tuesday.
Magu, reiterated EFCC’s readiness to dealing with criminal
elements such as rice smugglers, whose illicit trade is sabotaging
the diversification agenda of government. He regretted that the
country is losing huge revenues, foreign exchange and Jobs as local
rice processing companies are shutting down because of their
inability to gain market access.
“We will definitely confront and deal decisively with the
enemies of progress and economic saboteurs very very soon!” Magu
assured.
In a statement issued by EFCC spokesperson, Tony Orilade,
Members RIPAN, led by its Vice President, Mr. Paul Eluhaiwe sought
the Commission’s intervention towards stemming the tide of rice
smuggling, which they noted was threatening the Federal
Government’s initiative on domestic rice production.
According to them, they are losing millions of naira in revenue
to rice importers as they are now unable to sell their stock due to
dumping by the importers.
The importers are a cartel that ship-in parboiled rice into the
country through Benin Republic and Niger Republic, from where the
products are smuggled into Nigeria. According to Eluhaiwe, “The
smugglers do not pay duties, government loses revenue in the
process, a clear case of economic sabotage.”
He disclosed that the rice is imported from India, Thailand and
Vietnam, saying “The produces are inferior to our local rice, but
the importers are able to sell at cheaper prices because they do
not pay duties.”
One of the local producers claimed that he used to sell 10
trucks loads per day before December 2018, but since then, he is
barely able to sell two trucks per day. Consequently, he was forced
to lay off staff and reduce the capacity of his mill.
He has also not been able to patronise those who supply him as a
consequence. These experiences, he said, cut across all
producers.Checks have shown that although there is enough local
rice for consumption, various brands of imported rice whose import
duties and taxes are not paid which made them cheaper have flooded
Nigerian markets in recent times. A development that has made
nonsense of the achievement so far recorded by Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN).
At a recent press briefing, RIPAN’s Chairman, Mohammed Abubakar
Maifata, said: “Investors in Nigeria have made (an) enormous
financial commitment in the rice sub-sector. Unfortunately, the
only threat to the industry’s total development is smuggling. Over
1 million metric tons of Rice which is equivalent to about
20,000,000 bags of 50kg Rice have been smuggled into Nigeria in the
last three months.
He said investigations conducted by the association in the last
few months indicated that “all our international borders have been
converted to smugglers route and our markets are filled with
smuggled foreign rice.”
Mr Maifata also stated that “government must as a matter of
urgent national importance, take strong diplomatic action with our
neighboring countries who allow parboiled rice into their country
for final destination to Nigeria. The government may consider
closing the borders for some time if diplomatic overtures
fail.”
By PRNigeria