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Comptroller-General, NCS, Bashir Adeniyi
The Nigerian Customs Service, Zone C, covering the entire South-South region of the country, has under its ‘Operation Whirlwind’ made seizures of 6,200 litres of premium motor spirit, otherwise known as petrol within the last month in the region as part of its efforts to curb illegal fuel trade.
‘Operation Whirlwind,’ the initiative of the Comptroller General of Customs, B.A. Adeniyi, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Midstream Downstream, Petroleum Regulatory Agency, was inaugurated in May 2024, with the sole objective and aim of combating fuel smuggling.
The operation, through the leadership of its National Coordinator, Comptroller HC Ejibunu, who disclosed this on Wednesday, in Calabar, said that it has been creating a lot of impact across the country in terms of seizures, particularly in illegal smuggling of PMS.
He said, “This has maintained local fuel supplies, while also addressing economic sabotage linked to fuel smuggling.
“Statistically, since its inception till date, 466,000 litres of PMS, valued at approximately N380 million, have been seized.”
He noted that the operation spanned the entire South-South region, insisting that despite some challenges, such as the terrain, floods, etc, the unit is still performing its mandate effectively.
The NCS emphasized that this effort has contributed immensely to stabilising fuel prices across the country and ensured that allocated petroleum products reach their designated destinations.
He said, “In line with the three mandates of the CGC, which are ‘Consolidation, Collaboration and Innovation,’ we also want to thank other agencies and critical stakeholders that have been assisting the unit to perform its duty optimally since a tree can’t form a forest.”
