By Innocent Orok
The Nigeria Customs Service has continued to confront a fluid national challenge that threatens our economic sovereignty and energy security. This is as the Service through its ” Operation Whirlwind” recorded another feat in its fight against petroleum products smuggling.
According to the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi “While the government has implemented comprehensive market reforms and supply chain enhancements to stabilize the domestic petroleum sector, criminal networks remain determined to exploit regional economic disparities for illicit profit.
” These unscrupulous elements have shown remarkable adaptability, constantly refining their methods to circumvent our enforcement measures. What we are witnessing is not just routine customs violations, but a systematic attempt to undermine Nigeria’s economic foundations through the diversion of strategic national resources. Each liter of petroleum product smuggled across our borders is a loss of revenue as much as it contributes to domestic scarcity, market instability, and compromised energy security for our citizens.
“Our economic intelligence reveals that substantial price disparities across regional borders remain the fundamental catalyst for this illicit trade, fostering a profoundly lucrative black market that systematically undermines Nigeria’s economic sovereignty and national interests.
“As you may recall, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), with support from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), established a special operation codenamed “Whirlwind” in collaboration with the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). This strategic partnership has significantly intensified surveillance and enforcement operations across critical border corridors nationwide.
“In less than three months, Operation Whirlwind has yielded remarkable results with cumulative seizures of 245,370 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) valued at NGN 238,140,000, and importantly, these figures exclude today’s report and seizures made through regular command structures and Federal Operations Units.
” I have previously presented these operational successes in Adamawa State on January 30, 2025, where our officers intercepted 199,495 liters valued at NGN 199,495,000, and in Kwara State on February 17, 2025, with additional seizures of 45,875 liters worth NGN 38,645,000″, Adeniyi said.
