Nigeria Customs Seizes 199,495 Litres Of Smuggled Fuel In Crackdown On Economic Saboteurs
Nigeria Customs Seizes 199,495 Litres Of Smuggled Fuel In Crackdown On Economic Saboteurs
By Frank Odinukaeze
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), under the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi, has intensified its efforts against fuel smuggling, resulting in the seizure of nearly 200,000 litres of petroleum products in Adamawa State through Operation Whirlwind.
In a recent announcement made in Yola, CGC Adewale Adeniyi condemned the continued sabotage of Nigeria’s energy sector by smugglers, describing their actions as a direct attack on the nation’s economy. “Despite the well-articulated economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to stabilize the energy sector, some unpatriotic elements remain determined to undermine these efforts through complex smuggling operations,” CGC Adeniyi stated.
According to the CGC, 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 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 highlighted the tactics employed by smugglers, which include night-time river crossings at Dasin Waterways, illegal storage facilities near border towns, and concealment in unauthorized 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 asserted.
Customs operatives conducted targeted interceptions at strategic smuggling routes, including Mova, Dasin, the Galamba-Song axis, and the Mubi-Maiha corridor. CGC Adeniyi assured Nigerians that the NCS would continue to adapt its strategies, strengthen intelligence gathering, and collaborate with security agencies to eliminate smuggling operations, 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, praised CGC Adeniyi for his leadership and commended the officers’ dedication. He also emphasized the importance of public cooperation, urging citizens to report suspicious activities to security agencies.
