- Customs intercepts fuel worth N181.6m along Nigeria–Cameroon border
- Seizures recorded across 55 smuggling routes in Adamawa
- Operation Whirlwind vows to keep borders “air-tight”
- Confiscated fuel set for public auction
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted petroleum products worth N181.6 million during multiple anti-smuggling operations across Adamawa State, tightening border security around areas bordering Cameroon. The clampdown was carried out under Operation Whirlwind, an initiative launched to curb illegal fuel movement and protect the nation’s energy economy.
The crackdown was announced in Yola on Thursday by ACG Kolapo Oladeji, National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, who confirmed that the seizures were made over an eight-week period from various smuggling flashpoints within the state.
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According to Oladeji, a total of 55 separate operations were recorded, all targeted at disrupting the smuggling chain and preserving Nigeria’s fuel supply. He explained that the enforcement aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s economic policy on energy protection and national revenue security.
“This operation is geared towards energy and food security to foster economic growth in line with the mandate of the President,” Oladeji said.
“We have repositioned our machinery to ensure Adamawa borders remain air-tight, and we will continue to disrupt the supply chain of economic saboteurs,” he added.
The Customs chief also warned fuel traffickers to desist, stressing that the agency is prepared to pursue all legal means necessary to dismantle smuggling networks.
In her remarks, Mrs. Abidemi Adewumi-Aluko, Assistant Legal Adviser to the Attorney-General of the Federation, described the fuel auction process as a reclaiming of national resources back into lawful circulation. She noted that offences involving fuel smuggling attract severe penalties because such acts threaten national security.
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“These products rightfully belong to Nigeria and should benefit Nigerians,” Adewumi-Aluko stated.
She emphasized that fuel smuggling carries life imprisonment under existing laws, urging perpetrators to reconsider. She appealed to citizens and border communities to support agencies committed to national economic protection.
The seized petroleum products are scheduled to be auctioned openly to the public, in line with Nigeria Customs Service disposal regulations.
