In a renewed effort to curb the persistent smuggling of petroleum products across Nigeria’s borders, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its anti-smuggling operations with the deployment of new officers to strategic locations nationwide.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the development during a briefing with senior officers at the NCS headquarters in Abuja. He emphasized that the redeployment is aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, strengthening border surveillance, and delivering measurable results in the fight against economic sabotage.
“The smuggling of fuel not only drains national revenue but also undermines the government’s subsidy reforms and disrupts the local supply chain,” Adeniyi stated. “This strategic personnel adjustment is part of our commitment to restore integrity and effectiveness in border management.”
The NCS noted that several border communities remain hotspots for the illicit trade of petroleum products, with smugglers exploiting porous routes to move fuel across to neighbouring countries where prices are significantly higher. In response, the Service has launched coordinated patrols, intelligence-sharing platforms, and rapid response teams, with newly trained officers taking lead roles.
Recent seizures, including tanker-loads of fuel intercepted along the Seme and Katsina borders, underscore the growing sophistication of smuggling syndicates and the need for a more agile enforcement approach.
The Customs boss further appealed to residents of border communities to cooperate with security agencies and report suspicious movements, warning that anyone found aiding smugglers will face the full weight of the law.
With the deployment of fresh officers, the NCS is optimistic about disrupting fuel smuggling networks and safeguarding Nigeria’s economic interests, especially in the wake of post-subsidy policy adjustments by the Federal Government.
