How rice is smuggled through Kebbi borders

Despite its enormous rice production potential, capacity and the numerous rice mills that are presently operating at optimal level in different areas of Kebbi State, large tons of finished rice and paddy still find their way into the state through its porous border towns and villages on daily basis.

Because of its strategic location and borders with Niger and Benin Republics, Kebbi shares some access routes with Mali, Burkina Faso and other North African countries through these routes, illegal rice importation are done on daily basis.

The cultural affiliation and long existing relationship it has with two of its immediate neighbours-Benin and Niger Republic in particular had over the years rendered all Kebbi border towns and villages porous without efforts to check the activities of smugglers with smugglers bringing in rice on a daily basis without any hindrance.

Kamba is one of the major border towns in Kebbi State. The headquarter of Dandi Local Government is strategically located for the convenience of traders and travellers from different parts of West and North African countries such as Niger, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal.

Kamba is regarded as Nigeria’s first gate in the upper Niger. Therefore, most people entering Nigeria through Niger Republic do so through Kamba. Also the pastoral movement in and out of Nigeria is mostly done through its border towns and villages. For this reason, rice smuggling is made easy through many of the porous borders towns and villages in Kamba.

Through the border towns at DoleKaina, Bachaka, Kangiwa and Lolo, rice smugglers bring in large volume of finished rice and paddy into Kebbi State. Given this development, a 50kg of finished rice is sold between N11,500 and N12,000 at the border communities. Paddy that are sold between N10,000 and N9,000 in Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Suru, Bagudo, Argungu, Augie are sold at Kamba rice market between N7,000 to N6000. Many of the markets in the border areas are usually flooded with finished rice and paddy from Niger and Benin Republics.

Worried by the development, rice farmers and millers in the state last year protested against rice importation. The protesters, who carried placards, met with Governor Bagudu at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi recounted their losses and frustration over activities of the rice smugglers in the state. The rice producers reasoned that the only way they could remain in the rice business is for the Federal and State Governments to work together and protect them from the syndicates that are responsible for illegal rice importation.

Last week, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu called on the emirs in the four emirate councils in Kebbi State to help his government curb activities of the rice smugglers in their domain.

“Please, I want you to help and support my administration to curb their activities because we are known for rice production. It is your responsibility to educate your people on the danger involved in smuggling rice into the state through the border communities or cooperating with the smugglers,” he said.

A trader in the busy border market at Kamba, Alhaji Garba Ahmed Kamba told our correspondent that People from Benin and Niger republic on daily basis brings both finished rice and paddy to the market.

“As you can see, we share trade and other services freely with traders from Niger and Benin Republic here without any hindrance. The security personnel at the border are aware of this and so they don’t have to stop them from bringing their rice here. It is a give and take thing. People from Kamba also go to some of the Niger and Benin Republic communities every day to bring in other commodities. They even go as far as Niamey to trade. There is a common understanding between us because everybody is aware of the economic benefit we are achieving through this cordial and mutual relationship. Look at those bags of rice there, they are from Niger Republic and those ones at the other side are from other countries”.

Alhaji Sahabi Augie, Chairman, Rice Farmers Association and Chairman Rice Policy Advocacy Platform, described the activities of the smugglers as sabotaging efforts of the rice farmers.

“They smuggle the rice into Kebbi State through many of the border towns and villages in Kamba, Bachaka, Dole-Kaina and other areas where our borders are porous. They are very cheap compared to the ones we produce here because they are of low quality and don’t pay any duties on them. The illegal importation of rice into the state greatly sabotage our efforts as farmers to make money from rice production. I think it’s time for the customs officials to be on their toes and block all the areas through which rice comes into the state from the neighbouring countries. Also those living in the border communities should help check the activities of rice smugglers.”