Ogun Border Communities Not Safe Haven For Smugglers – YYPM

ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA – The Yewa Youths Progressive Movement (YYPM) has called on Nigerian investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, to refrain from labeling border communities in Ogun West as “smugglers’ posts” and accusing residents of being involved in smuggling activities.

In a statement issued on Friday, November 22, 2024, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the YYPM, through its Chairman Adeoye Akinola and Publicity Secretary, Sunday Adeyemi, expressed concerns over Soyombo’s portrayal of Ogun’s border communities.

While acknowledging the role of investigative journalism, the group cautioned against sensationalism and misleading reports that could tarnish the reputation of the area and its people.

The YYPM particularly took issue with a recent social media post by Soyombo, which claimed that vehicles loaded with foreign parboiled rice were stationed in Ogun border communities, ready to be smuggled into Nigeria.

The group described this claim as a “spurious” attempt to misrepresent the community and generate unnecessary tension.

According to the YYPM, “the border communities in Ogun West have evolved from being associated with smuggling to thriving hubs of legitimate cross-border trade.

“Following the 2019 ban on the importation of rice through land borders by the Buhari administration, many residents pivoted to other businesses, including local rice cultivation, in alignment with the Federal Government’s “eat-what-you-grow” policy.”

The statement emphasized that local entrepreneurs in the region have heavily invested in agricultural production, particularly rice farming, and have been working closely with the Nigerian Customs Service to combat smuggling and related illegal activities.

“The activities of Mr. Soyombo in the name of investigative journalism have cast negative shadows on our towns and portrayed our people as smugglers.

“We urge him to desist from labeling Ogun border communities as safe havens for smugglers and to focus his attention on other areas where illegal activities may be occurring”, the statement said.

The YYPM howver called for a more responsible approach to reporting that encourages the development of the border communities rather than hindering their progress through misrepresentation and blackmail.