Customs Seizes Over 108,000 Litres of Petrol Bound for Cameroon in Major Adamawa Operation
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has thwarted a significant fuel-smuggling attempt along the River Benue, seizing 108,775 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) allegedly being moved into Cameroon.
Officials say the interception ranks among the largest anti-smuggling breakthroughs recorded in Adamawa State in recent times.
The operation, carried out in the early hours of Thursday, November 6, 2025, was led by the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Assistant Comptroller General Kolapo Oladeji, according to a statement shared by the Service on Saturday via X.
Oladeji explained that the successful interception followed a carefully executed surveillance mission near the Ribadu Loading Bay, an area notorious for the illegal movement of petroleum products across the border.
“Our tactical team maintained a covert watch over the location. Once the smugglers began loading the fuel onto their vessel, our officers moved in and ordered them to stop,” he said.
He added that due to the difficult terrain and poor visibility at the time of the raid, personnel focused on securing the fuel and ensuring the smugglers did not escape through the international waterway.
A follow-up search of the surrounding area, carried out with assistance from the North-Eastern Marine Command, uncovered another wooden boat packed with drums and jerrycans filled with petrol.
Both vessels were escorted to the Jimeta waterside in Yola, where the contents were offloaded into trucks and moved to an NCS storage facility for proper documentation. A detailed inspection revealed 485 drums of 220 litres each, along with 83 jerrycans of 25 litres, amounting to a total volume of 108,775 litres of PMS.
Given the flammable nature of the seized product, the team recommended an immediate public auction, in line with Customs’ disposal procedures, pending approval from the NCS Headquarters.
Oladeji noted that the operation highlights the Service’s strengthened resolve to clamp down on cross-border fuel smuggling, protect Nigeria’s economic assets, and uphold regulations governing the distribution of petroleum products.
He stressed that the illegal movement of PMS through waterways in the northern and eastern regions continues to pose a significant threat to the country’s energy security, as smugglers ferry large quantities into neighbouring nations for illicit profit.
