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The crackdown on fuel smuggling by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has led to the seizure of nearly 200,000 litres of petroleum products in Adamawa state.
Announcing the latest development in Yola on Thursday, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi condemned smugglers’ continued sabotage of Nigeria’s energy sector by describing their actions as a direct assault on the economy.
He lamented the actions of some unpatriotic elements who, through complex smuggling operations remain determined to undermine the well-articulated economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to stabilise the energy sector.
Adeniyi explained that intelligence-driven operations by NCS officers in the Adamawa/Taraba Command led to the interception of 199,495 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), adding that “the operatives of Operation Whirlwind had 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 detailed 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.
CGC Adeniyi however, assured Nigerians that the NCS would continue to adapt its strategies, strengthen intelligence gathering, and collaborate with security agencies to close in on smugglers, warning that, “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, praised the Customs chief for his leadership and the officers’ dedication.
He also highlighted 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.