The Nigeria Customs Service has auctioned 22,175 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, seized along the Lagos-Ogun border corridor during operations to curb the smuggling of petroleum products across Nigeria’s borders.
The auction was held on Monday at the Customs Training College in Ikeja and involved petroleum products intercepted by officers of Operation Whirlwind during recent anti-smuggling operations.
The seized products consisted of 887 jerry cans, each containing 25 litres of petrol, alongside five vehicles allegedly used to transport the products.
According to the Service, the interceptions were made at identified smuggling flashpoints, including Imeko, Ilara, Ilaro, Idiroko and Seme-Badagry. The Duty Paid Value of the seized petroleum products and vehicles was estimated at about N32 million.
Speaking during the auction, the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Raphael Aliyu, said the exercise was carried out on the directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.
Aliyu said the auction reflected the Customs Service’s commitment to transparency and the lawful disposal of seized petroleum products. He described Operation Whirlwind as a targeted initiative focused on stopping the diversion and illegal movement of petroleum products across the country’s borders.
He said the operation was also aimed at protecting Nigeria’s economic interests and improving national energy security by preventing products intended for domestic consumption from being illegally exported.
According to Aliyu, the Service had stepped up surveillance, intelligence gathering and enforcement activities along routes identified as channels for petroleum diversion and cross-border smuggling.
He said the crackdown would continue, stressing that the operation would remain “resolute, relentless and intelligence-driven.”
Aliyu added that Customs would continue to track, intercept and dismantle smuggling networks, while suspects would be prosecuted in line with the law.
The coordinator commended officers of Operation Whirlwind Zone A for their efforts and acknowledged the support provided by the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
He also called on residents of border communities to assist the authorities by providing intelligence on suspicious movements of petroleum products, noting that tackling smuggling required cooperation between government agencies and local communities.