Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Adamawa/Taraba Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 20,600 litres of smuggled Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and other contraband items worth N112.59 million, in a renewed clampdown on cross-border crimes and illegal petroleum product trading.
Speaking at a press briefing in Yola, Comptroller Garba Bashir, the Customs Area Controller, said the seizures were made within six weeks of intensified patrols and intelligence-driven operations across notorious smuggling routes in the command.
“We recorded twenty-nine seizures across key border corridors including Mubi–Sahuda, Girei–Wuro Bokki, Jamtari–Farang/Belel, and the Damare River Bank,” Bashir said.
“Among these, the interception of 824 jerrycans of 25-litre capacity PMS—equivalent to 20,600 litres—stands out as a major success against economic sabotage.”
According to the Controller, the seized fuel was destined for smuggling across the Nigerian-Cameroon border, a practice that drains national resources and worsens local fuel scarcity.
“Our operatives acted swiftly to block the illegal movement of PMS out of the country. Smuggling petroleum products not only undermines government’s subsidy reform efforts but also distorts domestic supply,” he explained.
In addition to the fuel, the Command seized 91 cartons of expired Tramadol capsules, 54 cartons of foreign soaps, and 64 raw donkey skins intended for illegal exportation.
Bashir warned that the proliferation of expired medical products poses grave risks to public health, noting that the Tramadol consignment was intercepted in Mubi on August 30 through coordinated enforcement and credible intelligence.
“If these expired Tramadol capsules had found their way into circulation, they could have caused widespread harm, human capital deterioration, and increased youth addiction,” he said.
“The Command will hand them over to NAFDAC immediately after this briefing, in line with Section 55 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.”
On the seized donkey skins, the Customs boss explained that the items were recovered on September 30 at the Damare River Bank, concealed in sacks awaiting ferrying into Cameroon under cover of darkness.
“This seizure represents the slaughter of 64 donkeys. If this illicit trade continues unchecked, the species risks extinction,” Bashir warned, adding that the trade violates Schedule 6 of the Export Prohibition List and Section 150 of the NCS Act 2023.
He disclosed that the seized PMS would be auctioned immediately after the briefing in accordance with the Service’s Standard Operating Procedure, with all proceeds remitted into the Federation Account.
Commending the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, for his leadership, Bashir said collaboration with sister security agencies, intelligence units, and border communities had significantly boosted the Command’s operational success.
“Let me state unequivocally that the Command will not relent in the fight against illicit trade until smuggling cartels and networks in Adamawa and Taraba States are completely dismantled within the confines of the law,” he vowed.
He also urged journalists to sustain public enlightenment on the dangers of smuggling to Nigeria’s economy and security, while assuring that the Command remains steadfast in protecting the nation’s borders and ensuring transparent trade facilitation.
