In Lagos, Customs Hands Over N40.7m Seized Petrol to NMDPRA, Intensifies Anti-Smuggling Operations
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, on Friday handed over 1,650 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) valued at ₦40.7 million to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for further investigation and regulatory action.
The handover ceremony took place at the Customs Training College in Ikeja, Lagos.
Represented by the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Comptroller-General Abubakar Aliyu, Adeniyi disclosed that the seized petroleum products were intercepted over a nine-week period across major smuggling corridors in Lagos and Ogun states.
According to him, a total of 1,650 jerrycans of 25 litres each were confiscated along notorious routes, including Adodo, Seme, Owode Apa, Ajilete, Idjaun, Ilaro, Badagry, Idiroko, and Imeko. He added that the total duty-paid value of the seized PMS stands at ₦40.7 million.
In addition to the jerrycans, three tankers conveying petroleum products were intercepted. The vehicles were found to be transporting 60,000 litres, 45,000 litres, and 49,000 litres respectively, bringing the total volume to 154,000 litres.
Adeniyi said the seizures were the result of intelligence-driven operations under Operation Whirlwind, a special enforcement initiative launched in 2024 to combat cross-border smuggling of petroleum products and other contraband.
Read Also:
He emphasised that the movement and distribution of petroleum products are governed by strict regulatory frameworks and standard operating procedures designed to prevent diversion, hoarding, smuggling, and other forms of economic sabotage.
“These items contravened the established Standard Operating Procedures of Operation Whirlwind,” he said, warning that such violations distort market stability, undermine government policy, and deprive the nation of critical revenue.
The Customs boss described border corridors such as Owode, Seme, and Badagry as sensitive economic arteries that have historically been exploited for illegal cross-border petroleum movement. He vowed that there would be no safe haven for economic saboteurs.
He noted that the handover to NMDPRA underscores the importance of inter-agency collaboration. While Customs is responsible for border control and anti-smuggling enforcement, he said, the NMDPRA regulates petroleum distribution and ensures compliance with downstream petroleum laws.
“This collaboration ensures due process, transparency, and regulatory integrity,” Adeniyi stated.
Speaking on behalf of the NMDPRA, Mrs. Grace Dauda said the authority remains committed to ensuring that petroleum products refined or distributed in Nigeria are consumed domestically in line with national energy policies. She described fuel smuggling as detrimental to the nation’s economy and called on members of the public to support efforts to curb economic sabotage.
Operation Whirlwind was established in response to rising cases of illegal fuel diversion and cross-border smuggling, with the mandate to safeguard Nigeria’s energy security and protect government revenue.
By PRNigeria
