The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its crackdown on fuel smuggling, seizing nearly 200,000 litres of petroleum products in Adamawa State under Operation Whirlwind.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, while making this disclosure in Yola, condemned smugglers’ continued sabotage of Nigeria’s energy sector by describing their actions as a direct assault on the economy.
“Despite the well-articulated economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to stabilise the energy sector, some unpatriotic elements remain determined to undermine these efforts through complex smuggling operations.” Adeniyi said.
According to him, 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 Customs boss 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.
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.
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.
(Guardian)
