Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized goods valued at N93.03 million in Adamawa State in six weeks under Operation Whirlwind, a special anti-smuggling initiative.
The disclosure was made in Yola on Friday by Abubakar Aliyu, National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, speaking on behalf of Comptroller-General Dr Bashir Adeniyi. He said the seizures support national efforts to protect food security, energy supply and overall stability under President Bola Tinubu’s mandate.
“The total Duty Paid Value of the seized items stands at N93,029,800,” Aliyu said. “Among them are 64,410 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) hidden in 2,550 jerry cans of 25 litres each, three drums of 220-litre capacity, and two vehicles used for smuggling.”
Operation Whirlwind recorded 47 seizures across multiple border corridors including Mubi-Sahuda, Farang-Belel, Gurin-Fufore, Maiha, Mubi and Pariya-Wuro Bokki. In a separate interception on April 15, operatives stopped a DAF tanker carrying 50,000 litres of petrol along the Mubi-Uba road on suspicion of diversion. The tanker has been handed to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for further action.
Aliyu attributed the smuggling to significant price differences between Nigeria and neighbouring countries such as Cameroon and Benin Republic, which create profit incentives for illegal exporters. He stressed that despite fuel price deregulation, the government remains committed to market stability and curbing illicit petroleum exports.
The seizures contravened sections 150, 248 and 250 of the NCS Act, 2023, and were carried out under the authority of section 226, which permits free patrols and apprehension of contraband goods.
Seized petrol will be auctioned in accordance with the law, with proceeds remitted to the Federation Account. Aliyu reaffirmed the NCS’s determination to dismantle smuggling networks and reduce illegal activities to the barest minimum.
He commended the Office of the National Security Adviser, NMDPRA, other security agencies and stakeholders for their collaboration. The public was urged to provide timely and credible information to help combat smuggling, while the media was called upon to raise awareness of the economic and security risks posed by illicit trade.
The operation reflects Nigeria’s intensified border enforcement as part of broader measures to safeguard national resources and regional stability.
