The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, handed over 1,650 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) worth N40.7 million to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Friday. The handover took place at the Customs Training College in Ikeja.
Addressing journalists, Adeniyi revealed that the seized petrol was intercepted across Badagry, Owode, Seme, and other Lagos State routes. Represented by Deputy Comptroller General Abubakar Aliyu, the CGC noted that the contraband was seized over nine weeks.
“Operation Whirlwind intensified surveillance across key border communities,” Adeniyi said. “We intercepted 1,630 jerrycans, each containing 25 litres, along notorious smuggling routes like Adodo, Seme, Ajilete, and Ilaro.” He added that three tankers used to transport PMS carried 60,000, 45,000, and 49,000 litres respectively.
Adeniyi stressed that intelligence-driven operations and vigilance ensured the interception. He explained that illegal petroleum movement violates established Standard Operating Procedures, distorts market stability, and deprives Nigeria of revenue. “The Owode, Seme, and Badagry corridors remain sensitive economic arteries,” he warned. “Under our watch, there will be no safe haven for economic sabotage.”
The NMDPRA representative, Grace Dauda, emphasized that petroleum products should serve local consumption and urged public cooperation to curb smuggling. Operation Whirlwind, launched in 2024, continues to safeguard Nigeria’s economic and energy security through strict enforcement and inter-agency collaboration.
