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The Nigeria Customs Service has auctioned 22,175 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) seized along the Lagos-Ogun border corridor during anti-smuggling operations.

The auction was held on Monday at the Customs Training College in Ikeja and involved products intercepted by officers of Operation Whirlwind.

The seized petrol comprised 887 jerry cans, each containing 25 litres, along with five vehicles allegedly used to transport the products.

Customs said the seizures were made at identified smuggling hotspots, including Imeko, Ilara, Ilaro, Idiroko and the Seme-Badagry corridor. The total Duty Paid Value of the seized products and vehicles was estimated at about N32 million.

Speaking at the auction, National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Raphael Aliyu, said the exercise was conducted on the directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi.

Aliyu said the auction demonstrated the service’s commitment to transparency and the lawful disposal of seized petroleum products.

He said Operation Whirlwind was designed to prevent the diversion and illegal movement of petroleum products across Nigeria’s borders, adding that the initiative would help protect the country’s economic interests and energy security.

According to him, Customs has intensified surveillance, intelligence gathering and enforcement along routes identified as channels for petroleum diversion and cross-border smuggling.

Aliyu said the crackdown would continue, with the service determined to track and dismantle smuggling networks and prosecute suspects in accordance with the law.

He also urged residents of border communities to provide information on suspicious movements of petroleum products, stressing that combating smuggling requires cooperation between security agencies and local communities.

Customs Auctions 22,175 Litres of Seized Petrol, Five Vehicles

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