The Nigeria Customs Service, Kebbi Area Command, has intercepted 35,725 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and other contraband items valued at over N109.5 million in a renewed crackdown on smuggling activities across the state.
The Area Controller, Mahmoud Ibrahim, disclosed this on Wednesday during his maiden press briefing at the Command’s headquarters in Birnin Kebbi.
He said the seizures were made through joint operations with Operation Whirlwind, a special task force of the Service.
“Operation Whirlwind intercepted 14,750 litres of PMS valued at N8.85 million, while officers of the Kebbi Command seized another 20,975 litres worth N12.58 million in various flashpoints, including Bagudo, Tsamiya, Kamba, Lolo, Bunza, and Zuru/Mahakala,” he said.
Ibrahim noted that the operation reflects the service’s renewed commitment to protecting national resources and preventing economic sabotage.
“Fuel smuggling deprives the nation of vital revenue and poses serious safety risks,” he added.
The comptroller commended the resilience and synergy of field officers, the Customs Intelligence Unit, and partner security agencies, adding that the confiscated PMS would be auctioned in line with existing laws, with proceeds remitted to the federal treasury.
He revealed that the Command generated N25.6 million in September, representing a 36.13 percent increase compared to August’s revenue performance.
“This improvement was driven by enhanced stakeholder engagement, improved border management, and collaboration with Niger Republic through the Kamba border axis,” he said.
Other seized items, according to him, include 100 bales of second-hand clothing, 444 laptop-sized wraps of Cannabis Sativa, 143 mini sacks of donkey meat, 140 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 100 bags of parboiled rice, and 20 jerrycans of vegetable oil.
Ibrahim said the Command would hand over the seized cannabis to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and the donkey meat to the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, NAQS, for further action.
