Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — In a major crackdown, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has intercepted smuggled Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and vehicles valued at over N63 million, during a high-impact operation targeting fuel smuggling in Nigeria’s northeastern region.
National Coordinator of the Customs task force, Operation Whirlwind, Assistant Comptroller-General Hussein Ejibunu, described the seizures as a result of “intelligence-led and coordinated enforcement” across smuggling hotspots in Zone D.
Ejibunu briefing newsmen in Yola, Adamawa State capital, on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
He revealed that 1,959 jerry cans, amounting to nearly 49,000 litres of PMS, and five vehicles used to transport them were seized along notorious smuggling routes including Dasin-Fufore, Belel-Farang, Mubi-Sahuda, Maiha, and Girei-Wuro Bokki.
“Smugglers fled upon sighting Customs operatives, abandoning their illicit consignments in a desperate bid to escape arrest. This operation is not just about seizures; it is about dismantling illegal supply chains that threaten our economy and national security.”
Ejibunu stressed that the crackdown aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform agenda and the Customs leadership’s mandate to curb fuel diversion and smuggling that drains national resources.
“This is our contribution to safeguarding national resources and fostering economic resilience. By removing thousands of litres of PMS from the hands of smugglers, we are helping to stabilise fuel availability and prices in the domestic market.”
In accordance with Section 245 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, Ejibunu confirmed that the seized PMS would be auctioned immediately, with proceeds paid into the Federation Account.
He also appealed for greater collaboration from local communities, especially traditional rulers and youth leaders, in tackling smuggling.
“The fight against smuggling is not for Customs alone. It requires the partnership of communities, media, and all stakeholders. Smuggling is an act of economic sabotage, and it must be treated as such,” he asserted.
Ejibunu commended the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, along with other sister agencies, for their support in the operation.
With Nigeria’s fuel subsidies removed and cross-border fuel demand on the rise, Customs says it is tightening surveillance to prevent economic sabotage and keep national supply lines secure.
