The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded major gains in its ongoing campaign against cross-border fuel smuggling, announcing that its special enforcement team, Operation Whirlwind, intercepted petroleum products worth an estimated ₦181.6 million within an eight-week period along routes linking Nigeria and Cameroon.
The National Coordinator of the operation, Assistant Comptroller General Kolapo Oladeji, revealed the development during a press briefing in Yola on Thursday. He explained that the crackdown forms part of the federal government’s broader strategy to strengthen economic stability and safeguard national resources.
According to Oladeji, the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to improving energy availability, protecting food supply chains, and curbing activities that undermine Nigeria’s economic growth.
“Our mission directly supports national energy and food security objectives. These seizures reflect our resolve to shut down illegal supply networks draining the country’s economic lifeblood,” he said.
Oladeji disclosed that the confiscations were made during 55 coordinated operations across well-known smuggling corridors in Adamawa State. He noted that Operation Whirlwind Zone D has redeployed personnel, equipment, and surveillance systems to tighten border controls and neutralize escape routes routinely exploited by traffickers.
“We have recalibrated our operational machinery to ensure the borders under our watch are effectively sealed. Anyone involved in sabotaging the nation’s economy should desist immediately,” he warned.
The coordinator appealed for greater cooperation from border communities, transport operators, and security agencies, stressing that collective vigilance is vital for regional economic progress. He emphasized that the task force is determined to dismantle the logistics chains fueling illicit trade.
“We will continue to disrupt these criminal networks in accordance with the law. Their supply chains will be broken, and their activities curtailed,” he vowed.
Oladeji also confirmed that the seized petroleum products will be formally auctioned, with proceeds remitted to the federal treasury, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Abidemi Adewumi-Aluko, an Assistant Legal Adviser from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, described the auction process as a lawful recovery mechanism meant to safeguard national assets and deter economic sabotage.
She stressed that fuel smuggling is not a minor offence but a crime with severe consequences due to its threat to Nigeria’s energy security and financial stability.
“These offences carry penalties as serious as life imprisonment because they jeopardize national security,” she stated.
Adewumi-Aluko urged individuals engaged in the illicit fuel trade to abandon the practice, warning that the government is intensifying enforcement and offenders will face stringent legal actions.
0 Comments