General
Nigeria Customs to Step Up Efforts to Curb Cross-Border Petrol Smuggling
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has vowed to permanently shut down all illegal cross-border routes used for smuggling petroleum products, particularly Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), known as petrol, out of Nigeria.
This is as it plans to complement efforts by other security agencies including the Nigerian Army, Navy, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in curbing the illicit trade of energy products.
This was disclosed by the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind (NCS) Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, who made the announcement revealed that in a recent operation, Customs officials seized 849 kegs of PMS, each containing 25 liters, along with two Mazda 626 vehicles used for cross-border transportation.
Mr Ejibunu, during a press briefing at the Customs Training College in Ikeja, Lagos, said the total value of the seized items, based on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited retail price, was estimated at N30.225 million.
According to him, this marked the seventh successful operation in the southwest region under the ongoing crackdown by Operation Whirlwind.
“About five weeks ago, similar PMS products were displayed here at the college parade ground. Our operation has tightened the grip on smugglers, leaving no room for their illegal activities across the country.
“We will ensure all illegal PMS smuggling routes leading to neighbouring countries are permanently blocked,” Mr Ejibunu pledged.
He also expressed gratitude to the National Security Adviser and the Comptroller-General of Customs for their continued support.
He pledged the commitment of the NCS in continuing with the efforts, with the aim of stabilizing fuel prices and preventing artificial shortages caused by illegal smuggling.
“We are grateful to the National Security Adviser and the Comptroller-General of Customs for their continued support,” he added.
Business Post reported recently that the Nigerian Navy halted the cross-border snuggling of 20,000 litres of petrol bound for Cameroon and arrested three suspects.
