By Ben Adaji, Yola
Nigeria Customs Service ,NCS, has seized about 200,000 litres of petroleum products in Adamawa State under Operation Whirlwind.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, in Yola Adamawa State, condemned smugglers’ continued sabotage of Nigeria’s energy sector and described their actions as a direct assault on the economy.
According to him, intelligence-driven operations by NCS officers in the Adamawa/Taraba Command led to 199,495 litres of Premium Motor Spirit ,PMS, interception.
He said, “The operatives of Operation Whirlwind had successfully seized fuel, with a Duty Paid Value ,DPV, of N199,495,000, being smuggled across borders using tankers, jerry cans, and drums”.
He noted that despite the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to stabilise the energy sector, “Some unpatriotic elements remain determined to undermine these efforts through complex smuggling operations”, CGC Adeniyi said.
The CGC detailed tactics used by the smugglers, such as night-time river crossings at Dasin Waterways, illegal storage facilities in border towns, and concealment at 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 stated.
He added that Customs operatives carried out targeted interceptions at strategic smuggling routes, including Mova, Dasin, the Galamba-Song axis, and the Mubi-Maiha corridor.
The CGC reassured Nigerians that the NCS will continue to adapt its strategies, enhance intelligence gathering, and collaborate with security agencies to address smuggling activities.
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 urged citizens to report suspicious activities to security agencies.
The seized petroleum products, according to the Service, have been auctioned to residents of Adamawa State, according to the Nigeria Customs Service Act of 2023 and backed by a ruling from a competent court of law.
The products would be sold at a rate of N630 per litre at designated filling stations. Additionally, those sold in 25-litre jerrycans will be offered at N10,000 each.
