The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized petroleum products valued at ₦181.6 million during intensified border operations in Adamawa State.
The seizures occurred under Operation Whirlwind within eight weeks along smuggling routes between Nigeria and Cameroon.
Speaking at a press briefing in Yola on Thursday, the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Assistant Comptroller-General Kolapo Oladeji, said officers carried out 55 separate operations across known smuggling flashpoints in the state.
He said the operation targets threats to energy security, food supply, and economic stability.
“We repositioned our personnel and equipment across all critical border corridors to seal illegal exit points,” Oladeji said.
Customs Issues Fresh Warning to Smugglers
Oladeji warned smugglers to abandon the illegal trade or face stiff penalties.
“We will dismantle every supply network involved in this crime. The law will take its full course,” he said.
He urged residents, traders, and traditional leaders to support customs officers in protecting the state’s economy.
Seized Fuel Headed for Public Auction
Oladeji confirmed that customs would auction the seized petroleum products to the public in line with legal procedures.
Also speaking, the Assistant Legal Adviser to the Attorney General of the Federation, Mrs Abidemi Adewumi-Aluko, said the auction process helps recover national resources and return value to citizens.
She warned that petroleum smuggling poses a serious national security risk and attracts severe punishment, including life imprisonment.
