BREAKING: Fayawo Rice Smugglers Causes Massive Traffic Chaos In Atan-Ota Idiroko Road [DETAILS]

The ever-busy Atan-Ota area in Ogun State was on Thursday, 16th,2016 till today, thrown into disarray as scores of vehicles suspected to be conveying smuggled rice flooded the area, allegedly using escape routes to evade operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service stationed around the Idiroko border.

The development, witnessed since on July 16th, 2026 till now, is the latest in a recurring pattern along the Owode-Atan-Ota corridor, where illegal rice dealers popularly known as ‘Fayawo’ have continued to frustrate enforcement efforts with daring and reckless operations.

A cross-section of Toyota cars, jeeps, and trucks, all fully loaded with bags of foreign rice, was seen moving through the Atan-Ota axis. Witnesses said the vehicles were being driven out from the border area in Idiroko and were making their way into interior communities under the cover of confusion and heavy traffic.

According to an eyewitness who spoke with NEWSMEN on condition of anonymity, the smugglers had converged from Igolo Park in Idiroko before spreading into different parts of Atan-Ota.

“They were coming from Igolo Park in Idiroko,” the source said. “Last month alone, they were more than 1,000 different cars fully loaded with smuggled rice. Even two weeks ago, they passed here in large numbers, precisely more than 1,000 cars.”

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Community leaders in Atan-Ota have repeatedly called for stronger collaboration between Customs, police, and local vigilantes to dismantle the holding points and arrest the kingpins behind the trade.

As of this morning, many of the vehicles were  parked across Sokoto Road, atan market, and adjoining streets, waiting for the signal to move after 10pm today, according to the source.

Residents are urging authorities to take decisive action before the situation escalates into clashes or accidents.

“This cannot continue,” another resident said. “We are tired of seeing our roads blocked and our children endangered because of rice smugglers. Government should come and clear them out.”

For now, the ‘Fayawo’ remain spread across Atan-Ota, their trucks laden with rice, waiting for nightfall and the go-ahead to continue their journey.