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Tag: Julius Nwagu

  • Navy arrests six Cameroonians smuggling contraband rice into Calabar

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Cross River State have arrested six Cameroonians smuggling 700 bags of parboiled foreign rice into the country through the Calabar Channel.

    Also arrested with the Cameroonians, who were in the country without requisite papers, were seven Nigerians, working with them.

    Commander, NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, who handed over the illegal immigrants to the Nigeria Immigration Service, and the seized rice and Nigerians to the Nigerian Customs Service, at the NNS Victory jetty in Calabar, said the contraband was worth about N11.2 million.

    “These six Cameroonians got involved in the smuggling of the parboiled rice and they entered into Nigeria without the requisite papers thereby violating the Immigrations Laws in Nigeria and that is why I invited the Immigration to hand him over while the Nigeria Customs Service will take over the rice and the other Nigerians who are involved in the smuggling.

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    “Christmas is coming and people want to make quick money by smuggling in rice into the country but the Nigerian Navy is hell bent on ensuring that the Federal Government on ban on importation of parboiled rice into the country is upheld.

    “We would never allow it as a service, and under the able leadership of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, we will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that our policing roles are upheld and we have the available platforms to patrol the waters, especially in the Eastern flank here,” Nwagu said.

    Assistant Comptroller of Immigration in charge of the Marine Unit, Tsumba Terna, who received the Cameroonians, said anyone entering Nigeria must have the requisite papers.

    He said they would be dealt with according to laid down procedures to handle such situations.

    A Superintendent of Customs, Akpan Ime Edet, also said the rice would be transferred to government warehouse, while the Nigeria suspects would face prosecution.

  • Navy arrests six Cameroonians smuggling contraband rice into Calabar

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Cross River State have arrested six Cameroonians smuggling 700 bags of parboiled foreign rice into the country through the Calabar Channel.

    Also arrested with the Cameroonians, who were in the country without requisite papers, were seven Nigerians, working with them.

    Commander, NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, who handed over the illegal immigrants to the Nigeria Immigration Service, and the seized rice and Nigerians to the Nigerian Customs Service, at the NNS Victory jetty in Calabar, said the contraband was worth about N11.2 million.

    “These six Cameroonians got involved in the smuggling of the parboiled rice and they entered into Nigeria without the requisite papers thereby violating the Immigrations Laws in Nigeria and that is why I invited the Immigration to hand him over while the Nigeria Customs Service will take over the rice and the other Nigerians who are involved in the smuggling.

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    “Christmas is coming and people want to make quick money by smuggling in rice into the country but the Nigerian Navy is hell bent on ensuring that the Federal Government on ban on importation of parboiled rice into the country is upheld.

    “We would never allow it as a service, and under the able leadership of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, we will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that our policing roles are upheld and we have the available platforms to patrol the waters, especially in the Eastern flank here,” Nwagu said.

    Assistant Comptroller of Immigration in charge of the Marine Unit, Tsumba Terna, who received the Cameroonians, said anyone entering Nigeria must have the requisite papers.

    He said they would be dealt with according to laid down procedures to handle such situations.

    A Superintendent of Customs, Akpan Ime Edet, also said the rice would be transferred to government warehouse, while the Nigeria suspects would face prosecution.

  • Navy seizes 405 bags of contraband rice, arrests five in Calabar

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar have arrested a large wooden boat laden with 405 bags of contraband foreign rice, worth over N6 million naira, as well as five suspects.

    Commander, NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, who paraded the suspects and seized items in Calabar on Friday, said the arrest was made along the Calabar Channel.

    Nwagu said the boat was coming in from Cameroon.

    He said the Nigerian Navy is committed to the Federal Government’s policy on locally produced rice.

    “The Federal Government has said there will be no importation of rice again to encourage local farmers and local production of rice. We have the land and everything it takes to produce our own rice. But some elements that do not support Federal Government policy are hellbent on smuggling.

    “The Nigerian Navy being a promoter of our national interest, we are all out to ensure the policies are adhered to especially the issue of importation of rice. I want to emphasize that we are not going to relent in our efforts in ensuring that any smuggled item through our waters is caught.

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    “We warn all smugglers to desist. The money wasted on this is a great loss and the Navy is bent is on ensuring that problem is stopped in the country. We implore these people to look for something else to do instead of this because it would not get them anywhere. We are resolved that we shall not allow this to persist within our area of responsibility. The maritime domain awareness of the Navy is up and running and there would be no hiding place for such criminals” he said.

    Assistant Controller of Customs, Omachi Joshua, representing the Eastern Marine Command based in Calabar, who received the items and suspects said the items would take to the government warehouse and the suspects would be prosecuted according to laid down rules.

    “The bags of rice are subsequently forfeited to the Federal Government and they would take the matter to court for condemnation and whatever the government issues is what we would follow,” he said.

  • Navy seizes 100,000 litres of illegally refined diesel, arrests eight in Calabar

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar, Cross River State, have seized 100, 000 litres of illegally refined automotive gas oil (AGO) popularly known as diesel, as well as arrested eight suspects.

     

    Commander of NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, said the arrests were made along the Calabar Channel, when they got intelligence reports about the activities of the suspects, believed to be coming from Rivers State.

     

    Parading the suspects and seized items, which also included a large wooden boat, known as Cotonou Boat,at the NNS Victory jetty before handing over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Nwagu said the Navy will always be a step ahead of those perpetrating criminalities in the country’s maritime domain.

     

    He said the seized items were worth over N23 million.

    Read Also: Navy seizes 2, 860 bags of contraband rice worth over N50m

     

    He said, “We all know the consequences of people taking the laws into their hands to sabotage the efforts of the government and the efforts the Nigeria navy is putting to ensuring that the perpetuators of this illegal activities are brought to book. I am here to and over the suspects, the cargo and the Cotonou boats to the NSCDC to take over them in accordance with the extant regulations.

     

    “We are ever ready any time to go after criminals. If they do not want to hear and continue to perpetrate in this trade, we are here to collect it from them and arrest them. The Nigerian Navy is a step ahead. Our maritime domain awareness is up and running. There is no hiding place for perpetrators. Once you commit your resources to illegal and contraband products, and you want to pass them through our maritime domain, be rest assured we are going to catch you. Any attempt they make, the Nigerian Navy is a step ahead.”

     

    Commandant Stephen Lar in charge of NSCDC, Cross River State Command, who received the suspects and items, appreciated Navy for the synergy in fighting criminality.

     

    He said they would carry out further investigations and then prosecute the suspects.

     

    He said if they are convicted, the items would be forfeited to the Federal Government.

     

     

  • Navy seizes 130,000 litres of illegally refined diesel, arrests seven

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar, Cross River State, have seized a large wooden boat with about 130 litres of suspected illegally refined Automative Gas Oil (AGO) commonly known as diesel.

    Also arrested along with the items were seven suspects.

    Addressing reporters while handing over the items and suspects to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Commander of NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, said they were intercepted along the Calabar channel.

    He said the boat contained 520 drums (250 litres each) of suspected illegally refined diesel.

    The Navy commander put the worth of the product at about N24 million.

    “My men on patrol intercepted a wooden boat laden with 520 drums of suspected illegally refined AGO and when I was informed, I asked them to arrest the boat and bring the boat to my base. That was done and the following day we commenced offloading and I am here hand over the drums to Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

    “Seven men were arrested with the products. We are handing over everything. The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas, gave me directives and the directives were clear on issues of illegalities and I want to assure you that I will not blink until perpetrators of heinous sabotage to our national economy are brought to book.

    “On investigation, we found that that these products came from Rivers State and the final destination was Calabar before they ran into my security patrol boats,” Nwagu said.

    Commander of the NSCDC in Cross River State, Haliru Usman Alhassan thanked the Navy for a good job.

    “They are fighting illegality successfully, and this is a good synergy between the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps. I am here to receive the items and suspects to be charged to court and prosecute them diligently. I promise the Navy that each level we are in the prosecution, we would be furnishing them with the information, so that at least they know how we are going. This is a lesson and others involved in such illegalities should desist,” Alhassan said.

    He said what would happen to the products would depend on what they court says.

    The leader of the suspects, Christopher Okon, 30, from Mbo in Akwa Ibom State said it was his second time on such trip.

    He said they brought the products from Rivers State to sell in Calabar.

    He said the business belonged to one Mr Tony.

  • Navy confiscates 3,574 bags of smuggled rice in Calabar

    Navy confiscates 3,574 bags of smuggled rice in Calabar

    Naval personnel attached to the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory in Calabar, have arrested a large wooden boat laden with 3,574 bags of foreign rice worth N53.6 million smuggled from Cameroon republic.

    They also arrested three suspects found in the boat that came from Cameroon and heading for Calabar.

    Commander of NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, said on Thursday in Calabar that the arrest was made along the Calabar waterway in the early hours of Feb. 27, when they got information about the activities of the suspected smugglers.

    Addressing newsmen at the NNS Victory Jetty before handing over the items and suspects to the Nigerian Customs Service ( NCS ), Nwagu said that it took the command two and half  days to offload the bags of rice from the wooden boat.

    “In the early hours of Feb. 27, we got information about a boat laden with rice and my patrol team arrested the boat and three suspects on board. We brought the boat to base and offloaded the rice.

    “It took us two and a half days to offload the content. After counting, we got 3, 574 bags valued at N53.6million.

    “We will hand them over to the Nigerian Customs Service for further investigation and prosecution.

    “I want to tell the general public that the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas will not leave any stone unturned in pursuing those involved in any form of criminality.

    “We in the Eastern Naval Command, particularly NNS Victory, are all out to fight criminality at any level,’’ Nwagu said.

    Mr Joshua Omachi, the Calabar Area Assistant Comptroller of Customs in charge of Marine Command, who received the items and suspects, commended the Navy for the feat.

    Omachi said that the rice would be evacuated to the government warehouse of the Customs Area Command in Calabar, while the suspects would be prosecuted.

    One of the suspects, Moses Azazi, told our reporter that they knew that what they had on board was a contraband.

    “We were bringing the rice from Cameroon and were arrested by the Navy. We are aware it was a contraband.

    “I don’t know the owner of the rice. We were just asked to transport it to Calabar from Kondo in Cameroon,’’ he said.

    NAN