FG Targets Fuel Smugglers, Reduces Border Town Supply.

As part of measures to stop the smuggling of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, from Nigeria to neighbouring countries, the Federal Government has detained five fuel tankers and sealed three filling stations in border towns.

It was also gathered on Sunday that the continued anti-smuggling operations of the Federal Government through the Nigeria Customs Service had made fuel supply to various border communities to decrease from 32 million litres daily to about 25 million within two months.

This implies that about 420 million litres of PMS valued at N294bn (using the average price of N700/litre) did not go to the border states during the period.

The decrease in PMS evacuation to border states by about 21.86 per cent was confirmed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

The National Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, told our correspondent that the detained fuel tankers and sealed filling stations had been handed over to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority for further investigations.

He also denied claims that about 1,800 filling stations in the North had been shut down in protest against the continued anti-smuggling operations of the NCS.

When asked if the service was still carrying out its anti-smuggling operations against fuel smuggling, Maiwada replied, “The NCS is still carrying out its anti-smuggling operation effectively and continuously. Five fuel tankers were detained on the suspicion of product diversion which could be subsequently smuggled out of the country.”

Maiwada, a Chief Superintendent of Customs, denied claims that the tankers had been released to members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria due to pressure from IPMAN but stated that the trucks were handed over to the oil sector downstream regulator.

1. The detained fuel tankers were not released to IPMAN under pressure. However, the trucks were handed over to NMDPRA for continued investigation with the intervention of the Adamawa State government, as the offence committed was centred on fuel diversion,” he stated.

On the sealed filling stations, he said, “Three filling stations have been sealed and not shut in Adamawa State. However, the three sealed filling stations were also handed over to NMDPRA for further investigation.

The NMDPRA is expected to transmit its findings and recommendations to the Nigeria Customs Service through the national coordinator to the headquarters.”

The spokesperson of NMDPRA, George Ene-Ita, did not answer repeated calls to his mobile phone when contacted to speak on the matter. He also did not respond to text messages sent to him to get the position of NMDPRA.

Confirming the reduction in the evacuation of PMS to border states, NNPC in an earlier post on its X handle, stated that the company’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, met with the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, on the matter.

During the visit, Kyari particularly commended the rapid impact of the NCS’ ‘Operation Whirlwind’ in reducing the smuggling of petrol across Nigeria’s border communities, with PMS evacuation to border states now decreasing from 32 million litres per day to about 25 million litres within just two months.

Both parties pledged to strengthen collaboration in sustaining the onslaught against cross-border smuggling, to attain Nigeria’s energy security.

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