In a decisive move against fuel smuggling, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 34,470 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and a heavy-duty transportation truck along the Taraba-Cameroon border.
The operation, executed within three hours, targeted smugglers in Gembu and Kan-Iyaka in Sardauna Local Government Area, a known route for illicit fuel transportation.
The enforcement action was said to have been carried out by the Operation Whirlwind unit and was supported by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Office of the National Security Adviser, according to Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
He made this known on Friday during a public auction of the seized items in Jalingo.
Adeniyi disclosed that intelligence from the Inter-Agency Intelligence Fusion Center had detected unusual fuel movements across the Dorofi and Kan-Iyaka axis between March 8 and 9, 2025.
“Acting on this intelligence, field teams launched a series of coordinated interceptions that disrupted what appears to be an emerging smuggling corridor,” he stated.
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The crackdown led to the confiscation of 1,149 jerry cans of PMS, each containing 30 liters, amounting to 34,470 liters. Additionally, a specialized transportation truck valued at ₦4 million was seized, bringing the total duty-paid value of the operation to ₦37.78 million.
Adeniyi emphasized that a significant portion of the intercepted fuel was found in Gembu, which he described as a critical hub for fuel smuggling. Among the seized items were 180 jerry cans and the smuggling truck, which was intercepted en route to the Kan-Iyaka border crossing.
Describing fuel smuggling as a serious threat to national security and economic stability, Adeniyi called for heightened vigilance among security agencies.
“Petrol drives the economy, and any scarcity of the product could slow down economic activities,” he warned, urging local residents and stakeholders to support efforts to curb smuggling and ensure fuel remains available for domestic use.
He further reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to dismantling smuggling networks and protecting Nigeria’s energy sector and economic interests.
