Nigeria Customs, Seizes 199,495 Litres of Smuggled Fuel

In line with the NCS Act, 2023, the seized petroleum products were auctioned to the residents at the rate of N630 per liter while those in 25 litres jerrycans were disposed at N10,000 each.

 

Oluwakemi Kindness

The Nigeria Customs Service has seize almost 200,000 litres of petroleum products in Adamawa State under Operation Whirlwind.

This is as the NCS says the seized fuel has a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦199,495,000, being smuggled across borders using tankers, jerry cans, and drums.”

Announcing the latest development in Yola, Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi condemns the smugglers’ describing their actions as a direct assault on the economy.

According to a statement on Thursday, CGC Adeniyi Decries that espite the well-articulated economic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration to stabilise the energy sector, some unpatriotic elements remain determined to undermine these efforts through complex smuggling operations.”

Adeniyi says intelligence-driven operations by NCS officers in the Adamawa/Taraba Command led to the interception of 199,495 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

“the operatives of Operation Whirlwind has successfully seized fuel, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ₦199,495,000, being smuggled across borders using tankers, jerry cans, and drums.”

The CGC also detail the tactics used by smugglers, including night-time river crossings at Dasin Waterways, illegal storage facilities near border towns, and concealment in unauthorised dispensing points.

“These economic saboteurs are determined to inflict hardship on law-abiding Nigerians, but let it be clearly understood that the Nigeria Customs Service remains resolute in its mandate to protect our national economy.” He stated.

According to him, Customs operatives carried out targeted interceptions at strategic smuggling routes, including Mova, Dasin, the Galamba-Song axis, and the Mubi-Maiha corridor.

The CGC, however, assures Nigerians that the NCS would continue to adapt its strategies, strengthen intelligence gathering, and collaborate with security agencies to close in on smugglers, adding, “There will be no safe haven for them within our operational areas.”

In his closing remarks, Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Finance and Administration, ACG Hussain Ejibunu, praise the Customs chief for his leadership and the officers’ dedication.

He also highlights the importance of public cooperation, urging citizens to report suspicious activities to security agencies.

In line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023 and following the legal backing of a competent court of law, the seized petroleum products were auctioned to the residents of Adamawa State at the rate of N630 per litre in some designated filling stations, while those in 25 litres jerrycans will be disposed at N10,000 each.

END