The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), under Operation Whirlwind, has seized petroleum products valued at N181.6 million in eight weeks along the Nigeria–Cameroon border.
ACG Kolapo Oladeji, National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, disclosed this at a news conference on Thursday in Yola, stating that the seizures were made across 55 operations at various smuggling flashpoints in Adamawa State.
“This operation is geared towards energy and food security to foster economic growth, in line with the core mandates of President Bola Tinubu,” Oladeji said. He added that the operation had repositioned all its machinery across its jurisdiction to ensure the border is airtight.
He warned smugglers to desist from illegal activities, emphasizing that the NCS would truncate supply chains of these “economic wreckers” in accordance with Nigerian law. Oladeji said the seized petroleum products would be auctioned to the public.
Mrs. Abidemi Adewumi-Aluko, Assistant Legal Adviser to the Attorney General of the Federation, described the auction as a symbol of reclaiming national resources, noting that smuggling offences threaten national security and could attract life imprisonment. She urged smugglers to stop such acts.
Oladeji said the crackdown has not only strengthened border security but also contributed to transforming the nation’s economy.