The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, has handed over 1,650 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), valued at N40.7 million, to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for further investigation.
The handover took place at the Customs Training College in Ikeja. Adeniyi, represented by the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Comptroller-General Abubakar Aliyu, explained that the fuel was seized at various locations in Lagos State, including Badagry, Owode, Seme, and other border axes, over a nine-week period.
He stated that the seizures consisted of 25-litre jerrycans intercepted along known smuggling routes such as Adodo, Seme, Owode Apa, Ajilete, Idjaun, Ilaro, Badagry, Idiroko, and Imeko. In addition to the jerrycans, three tankers carrying 60,000, 45,000, and 49,000 litres of PMS, totaling 154,000 litres, were also intercepted. The total duty-paid value of the seized fuel is N40.7 million.
Adeniyi emphasised that the operations were intelligence-driven and part of Operation Whirlwind’s efforts to safeguard Nigeria’s economy and energy security. He explained that the movement of petroleum products is strictly governed by regulatory frameworks and standard operating procedures to prevent diversion, smuggling, hoarding, and economic sabotage. He noted that violations undermine government policy, destabilise the market, and deprive the nation of critical revenue.
Highlighting the importance of border security, he warned that corridors such as Owode, Seme, and Badagry remain sensitive economic arteries historically exploited for illegal cross-border fuel movement. “Under our watch, there will be no safe haven for economic sabotage,” Adeniyi said.
He also stressed that the handover to NMDPRA reflects inter-agency collaboration, with Customs enforcing border control and anti-smuggling mandates while NMDPRA regulates distribution and ensures compliance with downstream laws, ensuring transparency and regulatory integrity.
Representing NMDPRA, Grace Dauda reiterated the agency’s commitment to ensuring that petroleum products produced in Nigeria are consumed domestically. She urged the public to work together to prevent smuggling and other forms of economic sabotage.
Operation Whirlwind, launched by the Nigeria Customs Service in 2024, is a tactical enforcement initiative aimed at combating the cross-border smuggling of petroleum products and other contraband that threaten the country’s economic security.
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