The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), operating under the framework of Operation Whirlwind Zone A, has identified insecurity in Borno State as a major hindrance in tackling the smuggling of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
Hussein Ejibunu, the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind Zone A and a Customs Area Controller, made this statement during a press briefing in Ikeja on Friday, where several seized kegs of petrol were displayed.
Ejibunu acknowledged inadequate manpower as another significant challenge confronting the team. “There is no operation without challenges,” he noted, adding, “the major challenge is manpower. We make do with what we have.”
Speaking specifically about operations in Borno State, Ejibunu remarked, “It’s a lean operation, but there are still a couple of places we have not been able to reach. For instance, getting to Borno is a herculean task. I deployed officers to Borno, but the state is a security zone. By the time my officers got there, they were advised to leave because it was a security zone. So we have not been able to cover that much.”
Ejibunu also outlined the intelligence-driven approach employed by the team. “We don’t have checkpoints. All we know is that we gather intelligence, we work through intelligence gathering, we act on it, and we bring the success story. The moment it’s done, we retreat immediately. No one knows where they come from,” he explained.
Detailing recent successes, Ejibunu revealed that the team intercepted 849 kegs of petrol, each containing 25 litres, along with two vehicles used for smuggling. “This translates to 30,225 litres with a duty-paid value of N30.2 million,” he said.
The contraband was seized at multiple locations across Zone A, which encompasses Lagos and Ogun States. Ejibunu emphasised the smugglers’ evolving tactics, stating, “What they do now is ferry those things along the bush paths. They leave it there, looking for vehicles. Then, it is through intelligence that we locate the area, comb it, and evacuate.”
He further disclosed the arrest of a fuel station caught dispensing petrol into jerry cans. “The station has been handed over to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority for proper sanctions,” he added.
Concluding, Ejibunu underscored the importance of intelligence-based operations in countering smuggling and reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to overcoming the challenges posed by insecurity and limited resources.
