By Seun Ibiyemi
Notwithstanding the fuel scarcity in the country, some unscrupulous persons were making moves to smuggle petrol out of the country, a move which has been scuttled by men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
The Seme Border command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 930,140 liters of fuel, equivalent to 28 tankers from January till date.
The Seme Customs Area Controller, Compt Bello Jibo stated in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, Supretendent of Customs, Hussaini Abdulahi, that the combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the items stood at N167,722,751.51 only.
According to the statement, “To stem the tide against the smuggling of petroleum products, the Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has sustained surveillance and offensive patrol along the creeks and beaches within Badagry and its environs leading to remarkable successes.
“This led to the interception of one thousand, one hundred and thirteen (1,113) Jerry cans of PMS in (30) litres each, equivalent to thirty-three thousand, three hundred and ninety (33,390) litres during a routine patrol in beaches along the Badagry waterways.
“The seizure with a Duty Paid Value DPV of eight million, eight hundred and eight thousand, two hundred and eighty (N8,808,280.00) only was made in the late hours of Wednesday 8 December 2022.
“The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Bello Jibo explained that, with this latest seizure, the Command has so far intercepted a total of thirty-one thousand (31,000) jerry cans of PMS in 30 litres each, equivalent to nine hundred and thirty thousand, one hundred and forty litres, about twenty (28) tanker loads of thirty-three thousand (33,000) litres each from January to date.
“The Comptroller further stated that the giant feat achieved by the Command is unprecedented and the first of its kind in the history of the Command. He reiterates the commitment of his officers to continue making smuggling unattractive while noting that the Command will not succumb to cheap blackmail paddled by economic saboteurs who believe that the only way to succeed in carrying out their nefarious activities, is by spreading falsehood on the Command.”
Compt Jibo affirmed that the Command remains committed to fighting all forms of illegal and unlawful businesses to a standstill at our borders.
The CAC called on Nigerians who are doing legitimate business along the corridor should continue their normal activities as the Command remain firmly in its quest to facilitate legitimate businesses.